Character.AI To Bar Children Under 18 From Using Its Chatbots
(Wednesday October 29, 2025 @06:40PM (BeauHD)
from the better-late-than-never dept.)
- Reference: 0179908604
- News link: https://slashdot.org/story/25/10/29/213211/characterai-to-bar-children-under-18-from-using-its-chatbots
- Source link:
An anonymous reader quotes a report from the New York Times:
> Character.AI said on Wednesday that it would [1]bar people under 18 from using its chatbots starting late next month , in a sweeping move to address concerns over child safety. The rule will take effect Nov. 25, the company said. To enforce it, Character.AI said, over the next month the company will identify which users are minors and put time limits on their use of the app. Once the measure begins, those users will not be able to converse with the company's chatbots.
"We're making a very bold step to say for teen users, chatbots are not the way for entertainment, but there are much better ways to serve them," said Karandeep Anand, Character.AI's chief executive. He said the company also plans to establish an AI safety lab.
Last October, a Florida teenager took his own life after interacting for months with Character.AI chatbots imitating fictitious characters from the Game of Thrones. His mother [2]filed a lawsuit against the company, alleging the platform's "dangerous and untested" technology [3]led to his death .
[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/29/technology/characterai-underage-users.html
[2] https://yro.slashdot.org/story/25/05/31/1940219/judge-rejects-claim-ai-chatbots-protected-by-first-amendment-in-teen-suicide-lawsuit
[3] https://slashdot.org/story/24/10/23/1343247/teen-dies-after-intense-bond-with-characterai-chatbot
> Character.AI said on Wednesday that it would [1]bar people under 18 from using its chatbots starting late next month , in a sweeping move to address concerns over child safety. The rule will take effect Nov. 25, the company said. To enforce it, Character.AI said, over the next month the company will identify which users are minors and put time limits on their use of the app. Once the measure begins, those users will not be able to converse with the company's chatbots.
"We're making a very bold step to say for teen users, chatbots are not the way for entertainment, but there are much better ways to serve them," said Karandeep Anand, Character.AI's chief executive. He said the company also plans to establish an AI safety lab.
Last October, a Florida teenager took his own life after interacting for months with Character.AI chatbots imitating fictitious characters from the Game of Thrones. His mother [2]filed a lawsuit against the company, alleging the platform's "dangerous and untested" technology [3]led to his death .
[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/29/technology/characterai-underage-users.html
[2] https://yro.slashdot.org/story/25/05/31/1940219/judge-rejects-claim-ai-chatbots-protected-by-first-amendment-in-teen-suicide-lawsuit
[3] https://slashdot.org/story/24/10/23/1343247/teen-dies-after-intense-bond-with-characterai-chatbot
Too much responsibility is being placed on 18yos (Score:3)
by xack ( 5304745 )
You are being mollycoddled all your life for the first 18 years and then you are expected to fend for yourself. This will probably result in even more deaths as you are suddenly being given access to new parts of the internet as you turn 18 and then being overwhelmed. Parents need to be parents and stop relying on the "magic birthday key" as the barrier to the restricted/unrestricted world.
Likely a legal issue (Score:1)
by davidwr ( 791652 )
Their lawyer's AI-assistant probably told them they had to.
All kidding aside, with today's legal climate I'm surprised this didn't happen sooner.
How (Score:2)
by ISoldat53 ( 977164 )
How is the AI going to tell the age of the user?
Lame (Score:2)
Blaming a "chat bot" for your teenagers death is ridiculous.
Poor parenting is the more likely culprit.
Re: (Score:2)
Lame.
Blaming "poor parenting" for some teenager’s death is ridiculous.
Wider societal pressures and technological catalysts, including toxic social media, cyber bullying and chat bots encouraging isolation and delusion, are the more likely culprit.
Re: Lame (Score:1)
Probably Russia too. It's always Russia.
Re: (Score:2)
Part of parenting is preparing children to encounter the real world, jackasses and all. If they still lived at home with the parents, there is no one else to blame - no matter what the money chasing lawyers want you to think.