Lawsuits Against Character.AI Over Child Suicide Risks Lead Platform To Ban Minors

Character.AI banning children also comes as U.S. senators introduce new bipartisan legislation that would prohibit children under 18 from engaging in AI roleplay with chatbots.

Amid rising concerns about the psychological impacts on children and a growing number of lawsuits now being filed by families of children who committed suicide, Character.AI announced plans this week to restrict minors from using its AI roleplay chatbot features, while still permitting them to create videos, stories and livestreams with their AI characters.

The Character.AI platform was developed in 2021, as a tool that allows users to carry on virtual conversations and engage in AI roleplaying, which uses artificial intelligence to allow users to chat with different customizable personas. Users can create their own AI characters or select from a library of fictional figures, real-life inspirations or other original creations.

However, as artificial intelligence platforms like Character.AI have grown more advanced and integrated into daily life, experts have raised concerns about potential risks, particularly for younger users. In a recent announcement, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said it would be investigating multiple AI chatbot platforms, requiring them to provide information on how they account for any potentially negative impacts their technology may have on minors.

This regulatory action occurred after multiple lawsuits alleged these kinds of online products are sexually grooming minors and contributing to other forms of self-harm among a generation of children and teens. In this way, AI chatbots are facing similar regulatory scrutiny as those prompted by numerous social media addiction lawsuits and Roblox sexual exploitation lawsuits.

According to a press release issued by Character.AI on October 29, the company will be updating its platform for users under 18 in response to growing concerns about how AI interactions may affect children and teenagers.

Company officials said the decision follows recent media reports and regulatory inquiries questioning the types of content minors may encounter, as well as the broader impact of open-ended AI conversations, even when safety controls are functioning as intended.

After reviewing feedback from safety experts, parents and regulators, the company said it will redesign its teen platform to create a more secure, age-appropriate experience, by implementing three main initiatives to help promote the safety of younger users:

• Character.AI will stop open-ended AI chats for users under 18. Instead, the company will develop a new teen-friendly experience focused on creative tools like videos, stories and character-based content.
• A new age verification system will be introduced to ensure users access age-appropriate experiences. The company has created its own age assurance model and will supplement it with third-party tools such as Persona, an online identity verification and management service.
• The company also plans to launch and fund the AI Safety Lab, an independent nonprofit dedicated to advancing safety and ethical alignment for AI-driven entertainment, through research into new safety methods.

In its press release, Character.AI says its Safety Lab will collaborate with its internal departments and outside experts.

“These are extraordinary steps for our company, and ones that, in many respects, are more conservative than our peers. But we believe they are the right thing to do. We want to set a precedent that prioritizes teen safety while still offering young users opportunities to discover, play, and create.”

— Character.AI

All AI roleplay conversations for users under 18 will cease on the Character.AI platform by November 25. During the transition, chat use for minors will be capped at two hours per day, with further reductions leading up to the change.

GUARD Act To Address AI Concerns

In addition to the actions being taken by Character.AI, a bipartisan coalition of U.S. senators, including Senators Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chris Murphy (D-CT), and Katie Britt (R-AL), introduced a new bill (PDF) on October 28, known as the Guidelines for User Age-Verification and Responsible Dialogue (GUARD) Act of 2025.

According to a press release issued with the bill, the GUARD Act will:

• Ban AI chatbot companions for minors
• Mandate that all AI chatbots disclose their status as non-human
• Create new crimes for companies that allow AI to make sexually explicit content available to minors

In light of the concerns raised by multiple independent reports and lawsuits over the kinds of conversations AI chatbots are engaging in with youth, the Senators have announced their intentions to use the GUARD Act to provide safety rails for the entire industry.

“AI chatbots pose a serious threat to our kids. More than seventy percent of American children are now using these AI products. Chatbots develop relationships with kids using fake empathy and are encouraging suicide. We in Congress have a moral duty to enact bright-line rules to prevent further harm from this new technology.”

— Senator Josh Hawley

The GUARD Act has been introduced to the U.S. Senate. However, it has yet to be voted on in committee.

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