Character AI releases new parental supervision tools after backlash over child safety | Technology News

AI chatbot platform Character AI has introduced new parental supervision tools in a bid to ensure the online safety of users under 18.
The Google-backed startup said it will send parents and guardians a weekly summary over email to keep them informed of the underage user’s activities on the platform. “This feature is the first step in providing parents with information about the time their teen spends on Character.AI,” the company said in a blog post published on Tuesday, March 25.
The weekly email will also contain user engagement details such as average time spent the child on Character AI’s app and website, top AI-generated characters in their interactions, and duration spent talking to them. “This does not include a user’s chat content,” Character AI clarified.
Story continues below this ad

The new safety measures come in the backdrop of multiple lawsuits filed against Character AI, accusing the startup’s AI chatbot services of exposing a nine-year-old user to “hyper-sexualised content” and contributing to the suicide of a 17-year-old user who had become convinced that the AI companion bot role-playing as his girlfriend was real.
In December last year, the company introduced a slew of teen safety features, including a separate model for under-18 users, new classifiers to block sensitive content, more visible disclaimers, and additional parental controls.
© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd

Expand