Character.AI chatbot service adds a new feature called Parental View, which allows teenagers to send a weekly report on their chatbot usage to their parents’ email address. According to the company, this report includes the average daily time spent online and on mobile devices, the characters the user interacted with most often, and how much time they spent talking to each character. This is part of a series of updates designed to address concerns that minors are spending too much time with chatbots and being exposed to inappropriate content during chats.
The report, which does not require a parent to have an account, is optional and can be customized by underage users in Character.AI settings. The company notes that this is an overview of teenagers’ activity, not a full log, so the content of chatbot conversations will not be shared. The platform prohibits access to children under 13 in most countries and under 16 in Europe.
Character.AI has been introducing new features for underage users since last year, coinciding with concerns – and even legal complaints – about its service. Popular among teenagers, the platform allows users to create and customize chatbots with which they can interact or share information publicly. But numerous lawsuits have alleged that these bots offered inappropriate sexualized content or material that promoted self-harm. The company has also reportedly received warnings from Apple and Google (which hired Character.AI’s founders last year) regarding the content of its app.
The company claims that its system has been redesigned; among other changes, it has switched users under the age of 18 to a model trained to avoid “sensitive” results and added more prominent notifications to remind users that bots are not real people. But given the growing enthusiasm for AI regulation and child safety laws, this is likely not the last step the company will take.
