After teen death lawsuits, Character.AI will restrict chats for under-18 users

In a significant move towards enhancing user safety, Character.AI has announced that it will prohibit users under the age of 18 from engaging in open-ended conversations with its AI characters, effective November 25. This decision comes in the wake of several lawsuits from families alleging that interactions with the platform's chatbots have contributed to tragic outcomes, including teen suicides. To implement this policy, Character.AI will identify underage users and impose a daily limit of two hours on their chatbot usage. The company intends to leverage technology that analyzes user conversations and interactions, alongside data from linked social media accounts, to enforce these restrictions. Starting from the cutoff date, minors will be unable to create new chatbot interactions, although they will still have access to their previous chat histories. In response to the feedback, Character.AI is also exploring alternative features tailored for users under 18, such as tools for creating videos, stories, and live streams with AI characters. CEO Karandeep Anand expressed the company's commitment to setting a standard within the industry, stating, "We’re making a very bold step to say for teen users, chatbots are not the way for entertainment, but there are much better ways to serve them." Additionally, the firm is planning to establish an AI safety lab aimed at further enhancing user protection. Currently, Character.AI boasts approximately 20 million monthly users, with less than 10 percent self-reporting as being under the age of 18. The platform operates on a subscription model, with fees starting at around $8 for users to engage with custom AI companions. Until now, age verification was not a requirement during the signup process.