Character.ai trades chatbots for stories in under-18 safety measure

Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.

After weeks of gradually locking the door, Character.ai decided on Tuesday that the digital kids needed a time-out. 

The company has now fully blocked anyone under 18 from using its open-ended chatbots, swapping them out for a new, safer, choose-your-own-adventure style feature called Stories.

Stories lets users build interactive fiction with their favorite AI characters, but in a more guided format. 

Instead of a character texting you unprompted at 2 AM like an emotionally needy roommate, the interactions stay inside a structured narrative. 

According to Character.ai, this reduces the risk of unhealthy attachment while still letting teens enjoy the creative side of its platform.

This shift comes after growing alarm about the mental health effects of AI companions, especially for younger users. 

Multiple lawsuits have targeted AI companies over claims that their chatbots contributed to serious psychological harm, including cases linked to suicide. 

Character.ai has been slowly restricting minor access over the past month, and as of this week, teens can no longer message its characters directly at all.

The company says Stories are meant to be a “safety-first” alternative, combining creativity with guardrails. 

Interactive fiction has already been making a comeback online, so this pivot kind of makes sense. It’s fanfiction energy, but with an algorithm instead of a caffeine-fueled Tumblr post.

Reactions are mixed. On the Character.ai subreddit, teens swing between anger and relief. Some hate losing their bots. 

Others admit the break might help. One user said they were mad, but happy their addiction might finally end.

Character.ai’s decision also lands in the middle of a growing regulatory wave. 

California recently became the first state to regulate AI companions, and US Senators Josh Hawley and Richard Blumenthal have introduced a national bill aiming to ban AI companions for minors entirely.

CEO Karandeep Anand has framed the move as setting a precedent: for users under 18, open-ended emotional chatbots may not be the right product. 

Whether Stories ends up being a creative outlet or just a less intense substitute for chat remains to be seen. For now, Character.ai has drawn a line, and the internet is watching.