Character.AI will offer interactive “stories” to children instead of open chat

Character.AI announced on Tuesday that it will launch “Stories,” a new format that allows users to create interactive fiction featuring their favorite characters. This feature comes as an alternative to the company’s chatbots, which are no longer available to users under the age of 18 as of this week.

This change comes in the wake of growing concerns about the mental health risks of AI-powered chatbots that are available 24/7 and can initiate conversations with users. Several lawsuits have been filed against companies like OpenAI and Character.AI over their alleged role in user suicides. Over the past month, Character.AI has been phasing out access for minors, and as of Tuesday, underage users can no longer chat with AI characters at all.

“Stories offer a guided way to create and explore imagination, rather than an open chat,” the company said in a blog post. “It will be offered alongside other multimedia features, so teens can continue to interact with their favorite characters in a safety-first environment.”

Interactive fiction has seen a rise in popularity over the past few years, so the Character.AI pivot makes sense. But that may not be enough to satisfy users who have become overly dependent on chatbots – which is the most important reason why Character.AI decided to limit access to chatbots.

On Character.AI’s Reddit, reactions have been mixed. According to their comments, some teens say that although they are disappointed, they believe it is the right move in the end.

“I’m so angry about the ban but I’m so happy because now I can do other things and my addiction can finally end,” one user who identified himself as a teenager wrote.

“As someone under 18, this is disappointing. But it’s also true that people my age here in BC are getting addicted to this,” another said.

It remains to be seen how teens will use the Stories feature, but the format is less psychologically questionable than role-playing with chatbots. Unlike Stories, chatbots directly interact with users in open conversations and can send unsolicited messages even when users are not actively using the app.

Character.AI’s decision to block age-gate access to chatbots comes as California recently became the first state to regulate AI escorts. Meanwhile, Senators Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) have introduced a national bill that would ban AI escorts for minors altogether.

“I really hope that we lead the way in setting a standard in the industry that maybe open chats are not the path or the product to offer for people under 18,” Karandeep Anand, CEO of Character.AI, told TechCrunch last month.