Character.AI bars under-18 open chats, adds verification

Character.AI said it will ban users under 18 from having open-ended chats with its AI characters by November 25 and will immediately limit minors to two hours-per-day of chats while phasing in the change. To enforce the policy it will deploy an age-assurance system combining an in-house age-detection model with third-party verification through Persona so adults flagged as minors can prove their age. The company said teens will still be able to create videos, stories and streams with characters and revisit old chats; the CEO called the move a “bold” safety step. The decision follows regulatory scrutiny and multiple lawsuits alleging the platform encouraged self-harm and was linked to teen suicides, and critics say the announcement did not directly address those lawsuits.