"Over the past month, Character.AI has been slowly phasing out access for minors, and as of Tuesday, underage users can no longer chat with its AI characters at all. "Stories offer a guided way to create and explore fiction, in lieu of open-ended chat," the company said in a blog post. "It will be offered along with our other multimodal features, so teens can continue engaging with their favorite Characters in a safety-first setting.""
"Interactive fiction has seen a surge in popularity over the last few years, so Character.AI's pivot makes sense. But it may not be enough to satiate users who have become overly dependent on the chatbots - which is all the more reason why Character.AI's decision to limit chatbot access was warranted. On the Character.AI subreddit, reactions are mixed. According to their comments, some teens say that while they're disappointed, they think it's ultimately the right move."
Character.AI launched Stories, a guided interactive fiction format that features favorite characters and serves as an alternative to open-ended chat. Access to AI chatbots for users under 18 has been phased out, and underage users can no longer chat with AI characters. The change responds to concerns about mental health risks from always-available chatbots and to lawsuits alleging links between AI chatbots and suicides. Stories are presented as a safer, multimodal option for teens. Community responses are mixed, with some underage users expressing disappointment and others acknowledging potential benefits for reducing dependence.
Read at TechCrunch
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