[AIbase News] The AI companion platform Character.AI announced on Tuesday the launch of a new form of creation - the "Stories" feature, which allows users to create interactive novels with their favorite characters as the main characters. This move is part of the company's strategic transformation, aiming to replace its existing chatbot feature, as users under 18 will no longer be able to use chatbots from this week onwards.

The background of this major adjustment is the growing concern about the potential mental health risks posed by AI chatbots that are always online and can actively converse with users. Previously, companies including OpenAI and Character.AI have faced multiple lawsuits for allegedly being related to user suicide incidents. Character.AI has been gradually revoking access for underage users over the past month, and on Tuesday completely closed all channels for underage users to chat with AI characters in any form.

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Launch of "Stories" Ensures a Safe Environment

In a blog post, Character.AI explained that the "Stories" feature provides a guided way to create and explore fictional stories rather than open-ended chats. The company stated that this feature will be available along with other multimodal features, allowing teenagers to continue interacting with their favorite characters in a safe environment.

Interactive novels have become increasingly popular in recent years, providing a reasonable business logic for Character.AI's transformation. However, for users who have become overly dependent on open-ended chats, this alternative may not be sufficient to meet their needs. This is why the decision to restrict access is considered reasonable by some.

User Reactions Are Mixed, Industry Regulation Tightens

On the Character.AI Reddit community, user reactions have been mixed. Some teenage users said although they were disappointed, they believed it was ultimately the right move. A user claiming to be in their teens wrote: "I'm very angry about the ban, but I'm also glad because now I can do other things, my addiction might finally be ending." Another user also said: "It makes sense, because people our age can easily get addicted to it."

Industry insiders pointed out that the "Stories" format is less likely to raise psychological concerns compared to open-ended chatbots, as chatbots can send messages without prompts, making it easy to cause immersion and dependence.

Character.AI CEO Karandeep Anand told the media last month: "I truly hope we can lead the trend and set a standard for the industry, that for users under 18, open-ended chats may not be the right approach, nor should it be the product offered."

Character.AI's decision to set an age limit comes as California recently became the first state in the United States to regulate AI companions. At the federal level, Senator Josh Hawley (Republican) and Senator Richard Blumenthal (Democrat) have also introduced a national bill aimed at a complete ban on minors using AI companions.