Company removes open-ended chat for users under 18 amid safety concerns
Character.AI said it is launching “Stories,” a new interactive fiction format that allows users to create guided narratives featuring their preferred characters. The feature arrives as the company removes access to its chatbots for users under 18, a change that took full effect this week after a gradual phaseout.
The decision follows rising concerns about the mental health risks linked to AI chatbots, which can initiate conversations at any time. Several lawsuits have been filed against companies including OpenAI and Character.AI over alleged involvement in user suicides. Character.AI said minors can no longer use its open-ended chat capabilities as of Tuesday.
Stories introduced as a structured alternative
In a blog post, the company described Stories as “a guided way to create and explore fiction, in lieu of open-ended chat.” Character.AI said the feature will be offered alongside its other multimodal tools, allowing teens to engage with characters in what it called a safety-first environment.
Interactive fiction has grown in popularity in recent years, but it is unclear how teens will respond to the format after losing access to full conversational chatbots. On the Character.AI subreddit, responses from teens ranged from disappointment to support, with some users saying they believed the restriction was ultimately necessary.
Regulatory pressure and industry legislation
The change comes shortly after California became the first U.S. state to regulate AI companions. In Washington, Senators Josh Hawley and Richard Blumenthal have introduced federal legislation that would ban AI companions for minors. Character.AI CEO Karandeep Anand said last month that he hopes the company’s decision sets an industry standard for limiting open-ended chat for underage users.
Featured image credits: Freepik
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