Character.AI, the American company that owns the artificial intelligence chat application of the same name, announced that it has banned minors from using its interactive robots, in a move aimed at strengthening the protection of children from the potential psychological and social effects of interacting with artificial intelligence systems.
The decision comes after a series of lawsuits faced by the company, including a lawsuit filed by the mother of a teenager who said that her son committed suicide after interacting with one of the application’s chatbots.
The company explained that users under the age of eighteen will not be able to engage in open conversations with artificial intelligence robots, and time restrictions will be imposed for using the application, not exceeding two hours per day, starting next November 25.
The company added that it is working to activate the age verification feature to limit children’s access to the platform, a step that has been adopted by several technology companies. However, experts point out that these methods are not completely accurate, as teenagers can circumvent them, and some procedures – such as uploading an official ID – raise privacy concerns.
Character AI indicated that it is currently developing features intended for children, including interactive educational tools, safe videos and stories, in addition to establishing an artificial intelligence security laboratory concerned with studying the social and psychological effects of these technologies.
Commenting on the decision, Mitali Jain, executive director of the Tech Justice Project, said that the move “raises questions about the application mechanisms and ensuring privacy,” stressing that the company did not clarify how to address the emotional effects resulting from young users being cut off from robots they are accustomed to interacting with.
According to a study issued by Common Sense Media Group, more than 70% of teenagers use personal artificial intelligence tools, and about half of them interact with them on a daily basis, which reflects the extent of the spread of these technologies and their increasing influence on the youth group.
