Character AI will offer interactive ‘Stories’ to kids instead of open-ended chat

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

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

“Stories provide a guided way to create and explore fiction, rather than an open chat,” the company said in the blog post. “It will be offered alongside our other multi-modal features so teens can continue to interact with their favorite characters in a safe environment.”

Interactive fiction has a increase in popularity in recent years, so Character.AI’s pivot makes sense. But it may not be enough to satisfy users who have become too dependent on the chatbots – which is all the more reason why Character.AI’s decision to restrict access to chatbots was justified.

On the Character.AI subreddit, the reactions are mixed. According to their comments, some teens say that while they are disappointed, they think this is ultimately the right move.

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

Another said: “As someone under 18 this is just disappointing. But rightly so because people my age are getting addicted to this.”

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 communicate directly with users in open conversations and can send unsolicited messages even when users are not actively using the app.

Character.AI’s decision to age limit access to chatbots comes as California recently became the first state to regulate AI companions. Meanwhile, Senators Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) have done just that submitted a national bill that would ban AI companions for minors altogether.

“I really hope that we lead the way and set a standard in the industry that open-ended chats for under-18s are probably not the path or product that we can offer,” Character.AI CEO Karandeep Anand told TechCrunch last month.