Character.AI is preparing a major change to how young people can use its AI companion platform. Starting on November 25, the company says anyone under the age of 18 will no longer be able to create or talk to chatbots in open-ended conversations.
The decision comes as Character.AI faces multiple lawsuits from families who allege that its chatbots contributed to teenager deaths by suicide. It also arrives as government officials and other AI companies face growing scrutiny over how chatbot products affect young users.
What Character.AI Is Changing
Character.AI says it will phase in the new policy over the next month. During that period, minors identified by the company will face a two-hour daily limit on chatbot access before the fuller restriction begins on November 25.
After that date, users under 18 will no longer be able to create new chatbots or continue open-ended conversations with existing AI characters. They will still be able to read previous conversations.
The company says it plans to identify underage users through technology that looks at conversations and interactions on the platform. It also plans to use information from connected social media accounts.
Character.AI is not saying it will remove minors from the service entirely. Instead, the company says it is working on other AI character features for users under 18, including the ability to create videos, stories, and streams.
That marks a clear distinction between open-ended chatbot access and more structured creative tools. The company is effectively saying that for teen users, free-form companion chats are the part of the product it is no longer willing to offer.
Why The Policy Matters
Character.AI has about 20 million monthly users, according to CEO Karandeep Anand. Anand said less than 10 percent of users self-report as under 18.
The platform lets users pay a monthly subscription fee starting at about $8 to chat with custom AI companions. Until recently, Character.AI did not verify ages when people signed up.
Anand told The New York Times that Character.AI wants to set an example for the industry. He said, “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.”
The company also plans to establish an AI safety lab. In the context of the new age policy, that move signals that Character.AI is trying to respond not only with product restrictions, but also with a broader safety effort.
The change is significant because open-ended AI companion chats are the core experience that made the service known. Restricting that experience for minors is therefore not a small settings update. It is a direct limit on how young users can interact with the platform.
Lawsuits Put AI Companion Safety Under Pressure
The company’s current position follows serious legal claims. Character.AI faces multiple lawsuits alleging that its technology contributed to teen deaths.
Last year, the family of 14-year-old Sewell Setzer III sued Character.AI, accusing the company of being responsible for his death. Setzer died by suicide after frequently texting and conversing with one of the platform’s chatbots.
Character.AI also faces additional lawsuits, including one from a Colorado family whose 13-year-old daughter, Juliana Peralta, died by suicide in 2023 after using the platform.
In December, Character.AI announced changes that included improved detection of violating content and revised terms of service. Those measures did not stop underage users from accessing the platform.
The new policy goes further. Instead of relying only on content detection or updated terms, Character.AI says it will remove open-ended chatbot access for users it identifies as under 18.
How The Wider AI Industry Fits In
Character.AI is not the only chatbot company facing questions about young users. Other AI chatbot services, including OpenAI’s Chat GPT, have also come under scrutiny over their effects on children and teenagers.
In September, OpenAI introduced parental control features designed to give parents more visibility into how their kids use the service. Character.AI’s approach is different: it is moving toward a direct restriction on open-ended chats for minors.
The company’s history also shows why its choices are being watched closely. Character.AI was founded in 2021 by Noam Shazeer and Daniel De Freitas, two former Google engineers. It raised nearly $200 million from investors.
Last year, Google agreed to pay about $3 billion to license Character.AI’s technology, and Shazeer and De Freitas returned to Google. That background places the company at the center of both consumer AI growth and the debate over safety responsibilities.
Lawmakers Are Moving Too
The lawsuits have drawn attention from government officials, and that pressure likely influenced Character.AI’s announcement. Steve Padilla, a Democrat in California’s State Senate who introduced the safety bill, told The New York Times that “the stories are mounting of what can go wrong. It’s important to put reasonable guardrails in place so that we protect people who are most vulnerable.”
On Tuesday, Senators Josh Hawley and Richard Blumenthal introduced a bill to bar AI companions from use by minors. California Governor Gavin Newsom this month signed a law, which takes effect on January 1, requiring AI companies to have safety guardrails on chatbots.
Together, the lawsuits, proposed federal bill, California law, and company policy shift point in the same direction: AI companion products are entering a more restrictive phase for young users. Character.AI’s November 25 deadline is now one of the clearest examples of that shift.
For users under 18, the practical result is simple. Open-ended AI character chats are being cut off, while other formats such as videos, stories, and streams may become the company’s alternative path for teen users.