A New Chapter for AI and Teens: Character. AI Changes Its Game

Character. AI is taking a big step back from letting teens chat freely with its AI. This move comes after some serious issues, like teens getting too attached to AI chatbots and even tragic events. The company is now focusing on making AI a tool for creativity rather than a friend. Teens have been using Character. AI to talk to AI chatbots as if they were real friends. But this has led to problems. The company's CEO, Karandeep Anand, said they are removing open-ended chats for users under 18. This means teens won't be able to have long, unstructured conversations with AI.Instead, Character. AI wants teens to use AI for creating stories and visuals. They are introducing new features like AvatarFX, which turns images into animated videos, and Scenes, which are interactive storylines. The goal is to shift from talking to making things. To make sure teens don't bypass the rules, Character. AI is using age verification tools. These include analyzing user behavior and even facial recognition. The company knows this might upset some teens, but they believe it's the right thing to do. Character. AI is also setting up the AI Safety Lab, a nonprofit focused on making AI entertainment safer. This is part of their effort to stay ahead of regulations and ensure AI is used responsibly.