Character.AI bars under-18s from open chats, adds age checks

Character.AI announced on Wednesday that it will bar users under the age of 18 from holding open-ended conversations with its chatbots beginning Nov. 25, a move the company says is intended to address growing concerns about the impact of conversational AI on young people. Until the cutoff, Character.AI said it will progressively limit minors' chat time, starting at two hours per day and reducing that allowance in the weeks ahead.

The company said minors will be steered toward a more restricted product that uses a different AI model and limits the characters and types of conversations available. Character.AI also plans to roll out an age assurance system that combines an in-house model with third-party verification software from Persona, and to create an independent nonprofit AI Safety Lab focused on safety alignment for entertainment features. Chief executive Karandeep Anand called the policy change "a very bold step" and said the company will continue to offer nonchat creative features for younger users, such as AI-generated short videos and stories.

The decision follows mounting legal and regulatory scrutiny of AI companions. Families have filed multiple lawsuits alleging that...