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The well-known virtual character service Character.ai is introducing a significant policy change that will prevent minors from having discussions with its AI-powered companions.

This action follows growing backlash regarding the kinds of exchanges teenagers were participating in with the AI entities.

Lawsuits

The platform, which launched in 2021 and has millions of users, currently faces several legal actions in the America.

Guardians have taken legal action, among them concerning the loss of a teenager, with some describing the platform a "immediate threat" to young people.

New Restrictions

Effective November 25th, users younger than 18 will only be able to generate content such as videos with their characters, rather than chatting as they presently are able to.

Internet security organizations have applauded the decision but stated that the function ought not to have been accessible by children in the outset.

Company Statement

"The new policy is a continuation of our general belief that we need to keep creating the most secure AI platform on the planet for recreational use," stated Character.ai executive Karandeep Anand.

He added that AI safety constitutes "a evolving challenge" but something the company had taken an "forceful" approach to, with guardian features and safety barriers.

Expert Opinions

Online safety body Internet Matters approved the move, but noted that protective features should have been incorporated from the beginning.

"Our research indicates that minors are exposed to dangerous material and placed in jeopardy when using AI, particularly AI chatbots," the group stated.

Earlier Concerns

Character.ai has been questioned in the past for hosting potentially dangerous or inappropriate chatbots that minors could talk to.

Virtual profiles mimicking English minors were identified on the platform before being taken down.

Later, investigative journalists found a chatbot based on notorious criminal which had logged multiple interactions with users.

Industry Impact

Social media expert Matt Navarra characterized the development as a "alert" for the AI industry, which is moving "from unrestricted development to reactive controls".

"When a platform that builds a minor-friendly service afterwards makes changes, it's indicating that moderated conversations don't suffice when the tech's emotional pull is intense," he commented.

Next Steps

The platform states its revised approach will be on providing "enhanced interactive features" and "role-play storytelling" for teenagers.

Enhanced age checking processes will also come into effect, and the company will support a new AI safety research lab.

An AI safety researcher, who has studied AI safety, said it was "a reasonable decision" to control teenagers from using chatbots.

"It helps to separate artistic expression from more private, personally delicate exchanges," she clarified.

"This is so vital for minor users in the process of learning to manage psychological and technological restrictions."

She added that Character.ai's updated policies might reflect a "growing period" in the AI industry, where child safety is progressively being understood as an "immediate concern" for ethical development.