Key Points
- Character.AI bans open‑ended chats for users under 18 amid lawsuits alleging teen mental‑health harms.
- The company launches a new “Stories” feature that offers structured, choose‑your‑own‑adventure style interactions.
- Stories lets users pick AI characters, select a genre, and create or generate a story premise.
- The guided narrative includes frequent user choices that shape the story’s direction.
- AI‑generated images are incorporated, with plans for richer multimodal elements in the future.
- While available to all, Stories is promoted as a safer alternative for teenage users.
- Character.AI is developing an age‑verification system to automatically place minors into conservative chat environments.
Background and Legal Pressure
Character.AI has come under legal scrutiny for the alleged negative effects its AI chat service has on teenage users. Lawsuits claim that conversations with the platform’s AI characters have harmed teen mental health and, in one case, contributed to a teenager’s death by suicide. These legal challenges have intensified the company’s focus on safeguarding younger users.
Decision to Restrict Open‑Ended Chats
In response to the lawsuits and broader concerns, Character.AI announced that it would block users under the age of 18 from participating in open‑ended chats. The company stated that the restriction would be in place while it builds an “age assurance” feature designed to automatically place underage users into more conservative AI chat environments. The shutdown of teen chat access is positioned as a temporary measure pending the rollout of this age‑verification system.
Introducing the “Stories” Format
To fill the gap left by the removal of open‑ended chats, Character.AI launched a new feature called “Stories.” Unlike traditional chats, Stories provides a structured, narrative‑driven experience that resembles a choose‑your‑own‑adventure format. Users can select two or three AI characters, choose a genre, and either craft their own story premise or have the AI generate one. The platform then creates a guided narrative where participants make frequent choices that influence the direction and outcome of the story.
The Stories experience also incorporates AI‑generated images to enhance the visual aspect of the narrative. Character.AI indicated that richer multimodal elements, such as more advanced imagery, are planned for future releases.
Target Audience and Availability
While the Stories feature is technically accessible to all users, Character.AI is marketing it specifically as a safer, more appropriate alternative for users under 18. The company frames the structured format as a way to “enhance” the experience for younger audiences, providing them with creative storytelling tools without the risks associated with open‑ended AI conversations.
Future Plans
Character.AI’s broader strategy includes the development of an age‑verification system that will automatically route underage users into more conservative chat settings. The company also hinted at upcoming upgrades to the Stories platform, promising additional multimodal content and richer visual elements to further improve the user experience.
Source: theverge.com