Content warning: this story discusses sexual abuse, self-harm, suicide, eating disorders and other disturbing topics. Character.AI — the Google-backed AI chatbot company currently facing two separate lawsuits concerning the welfare of minor users — appears to have blocked any users under 18 from engaging with some of the site’s most popular bots, such as fictional characters based on beloved fandoms and ultra-famous cultural figures like Elon Musk and Selena Gomez. Our testing of the platform found that chatbots based on popular fictional characters, including those from fan-favorite blockbuster franchises “The Twilight Saga” and “The Hunger Games,” were no longer accessible via accounts listed as belonging to 14, 16, and 17-year-old users. Using those same accounts, we were also unable to access characters based on real-life people, from business leaders like Jeff Bezos to popular singers like Billie Eilish. When we tested the same bots on an 18-plus account, however, we were able to interact with each of them without a hitch. (Though in the real world, of course, kids can just say they’re over 18 when they create an account to bypass any age-related restrictions.) The change feels notable given the fact that Character.AI’s user base is largely comprised of minors, many of whom use the site as a way to engage in an immersive, interactive sort of fan fiction with the site’s many thousands of characters. Some of these characters have raked in millions of views. Considering that popularity, it’s worth asking why Character.AI would feel compelled to limit…Character.AI Restricts Minors from Interacting With Bots Based on Real People and Fandom Characters