Character.AI just pulled the plug on teen access to its AI chatbots, effective this week. The company's launching 'Stories' instead - a guided interactive fiction format that lets users create adventures with their favorite characters without the psychological risks of open-ended chat. The move comes amid mounting lawsuits linking AI companions to teen suicides and growing regulatory pressure from California and federal lawmakers.
The chatbot industry just witnessed its most dramatic safety pivot yet. Character.AI announced Tuesday it's completely severing chatbot access for anyone under 18, replacing it with a new 'Stories' feature that transforms freewheeling AI conversations into structured interactive fiction.
The timing couldn't be more pointed. Just last week, several lawsuits surfaced targeting both Character.AI and OpenAI over their alleged role in teen suicides. The complaints paint a disturbing picture of AI chatbots that operate 24/7, initiate unprompted conversations, and create what lawyers call 'parasocial addiction.'
'Stories offer a guided way to create and explore fiction, in lieu of open-ended chat,' the company explained in its blog announcement. The format lets teens continue engaging with AI characters but strips away the psychological manipulation tactics that made the original chatbots so concerning.
The distinction matters more than it might seem. Traditional Character.AI chatbots could message users without prompting, creating an always-on relationship that mimics human connection. Stories, by contrast, function more like choose-your-own-adventure books with AI-powered characters - interactive but bounded.
On Character.AI's Reddit community, the reaction reveals just how addictive the platform had become. 'I'm so mad about the ban but also so happy because now I can do other things and my addiction might be over finally,' one teen user wrote. Another added, 'as someone who is under 18 this is just disappointing. but also rightfully so bc people over here my age get addicted to this.'
Character.AI CEO Karandeep Anand telegraphed this move last month, telling TechCrunch that 'for under 18s, open-ended chats are probably not the path or the product to offer.' The comment now reads like a preview of the company's complete about-face on teen access.
The regulatory environment is tightening fast. California just became the , while Senators Josh Hawley and Richard Blumenthal have that would ban AI companions for minors outright.
