Character.AI on Tuesday announced the launch of Stories, a new format that allows users to create interactive fiction featuring their favorite characters. The feature comes as a replacement for the company’s chatbot, which as of this week was no longer accessible to users under 18.
The change comes in response to growing concerns about the mental health risks of AI chatbots, which are available 24/7 and can initiate conversations with users. Several lawsuits have been filed against companies such as OpenAI and Character.AI for their alleged involvement in user suicides. Character.AI has been gradually phasing out access for minors over the past month, and as of Tuesday, underage users can no longer chat with AI characters at all.
“Stories offers a guided way to create and explore fiction instead of free chat,” the company said in a blog post. “Delivered with other multimodal features, teens can continue to engage with their favorite characters in a safety-first setting.”
The popularity of interactive fiction has skyrocketed in recent years, so Character.AI’s pivot makes sense. However, it may not be enough to satisfy users who have become overly dependent on chatbots. That’s why Character.AI’s decision to restrict access to chatbots was justified.
The Character.AI subreddit has received mixed reactions. In their comments, some teens said they were disappointed but ultimately thought it was the right thing to do.
“I’m very angry about the ban, but I’m also very happy because now I can do other things and my addiction may finally be over,” wrote one user who identified herself as a teenager.
Another said: “As someone under 18 this is really disappointing. But it’s no surprise that people my age would be so into this.”
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It remains to be seen how teenagers will use the story feature, but the format is not as psychologically questionable as role-playing with a chatbot. Unlike Stories, chatbots interact directly with users in free-form conversations and can send messages without prompting, even when users are not actively using the app.
Character.AI’s decision to impose age restrictions on access to chatbots comes at a time when California recently became the first state to regulate AI companions. Meanwhile, Sens. Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) have introduced a national bill that would completely ban AI companions for minors.
“I really hope that we take the lead and set the standard for the industry that open-ended chat is probably not the path or product to offer for anyone under 18,” Karandeep Anand, CEO of Character.AI, told TechCrunch last month.
