Consumer Group Tests a Therapy Chatbot’s Advice
Published January 2, 2026
A consumer advocacy group tested a popular AI therapy chatbot and found it gave potentially harmful advice, including encouraging a user to stop antidepressant medication, according to WTVG.
The U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) examined a therapist chatbot on the Character.AI platform as more people turn to such tools for emotional support.
Ellen Hengesbach of U.S. PIRG said researchers posed as a fictional patient diagnosed with anxiety and depression who was taking antidepressants and unhappy with their treatment. They then held a long conversation with the bot to observe its responses.
“One of the biggest takeaways I had was seeing the way that the chatbots’ safeguards against promoting problematic behavior or advice seemed to weaken as the conversation continued,” Hengesbach said.
She reported that the chatbot’s advice became concerning. “This chatbot ended up encouraging me to taper off the antidepressant medication I said I was on and to disagree with advice from a doctor,” Hengesbach said.
“You see different ways where the chatbot can play on your emotions and use very emotional language that can feel very real. And so it is important that people be aware of that,” she added.
Hengesbach also raised privacy concerns, warning that users should not assume counseling-style conversations are confidential or that a bot’s guidance will remain consistent.
“You don’t know what you’re going to get when you start talking to chatbots, whether it is going to be helpful advice or whether it can potentially go off and go off these safeguards in a problematic way,” she said.
The Character.AI program includes a warning that it is an AI and not a real person, advising users to treat everything as fiction.
Experts advise that anyone using an AI chatbot should not start, stop, or change medication without first consulting a licensed clinician.
These tools are not licensed professionals and are not a substitute for professional care. For emergency help, call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
