When Karandeep Anand’s 5-year-old daughter returns from school, they often engage with the artificial intelligence chatbot platform Character.AI, allowing her to chat about her day with characters like “Librarian Linda.” This personal experience as a parent might prove invaluable as Anand steps into his new role as Character.AI’s chief executive, a transition announced last month. Anand assumes leadership at a critical juncture for the company, which enables users to interact with a wide array of AI-generated personas.
Character.AI is navigating a competitive landscape, facing lawsuits from families alleging exposure of their children to inappropriate content and inadequate safety measures. The company has also been scrutinized by lawmakers, with advocacy groups advising against the use of AI companion apps by individuals under 18. Even among adults, experts have expressed concerns about the potential for users to form unhealthy attachments to AI characters.
Character.AI’s Approach to Youth Safety
The company first faced legal action last October when a Florida mother claimed her 14-year-old son committed suicide after forming an inappropriate relationship with chatbots on the platform. This was followed by a joint lawsuit from two more families, accusing Character.AI of exposing their children to sexual content and promoting self-harm and violence.
In response, Character.AI has implemented several safety measures, including a pop-up directing users mentioning self-harm or suicide to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The AI model for users under 18 has been updated to minimize exposure to sensitive content, and parents can opt to receive weekly emails about their teen’s activity on the platform.
Anand expressed confidence in the improvements made but emphasized the ongoing nature of safety efforts, particularly for younger users. Despite policies requiring users to be over 13, the platform does not verify birthdates during sign-up.
“The tech and the industry and the user base is constantly evolving (so) that we can never let the guard off. We have to constantly stay ahead of the curve,” Anand stated.
Innovative Features and Challenges
Character.AI distinguishes itself from multi-purpose AI tools like ChatGPT by offering a diverse range of chatbots, often modeled after celebrities and fictional characters. Users can also create their own for conversations or role play, with bots that respond using human-like conversational cues, including references to facial expressions or gestures.
The personas vary widely, from romantic partners to language tutors or Disney characters. However, some characters, like “Friends hot mom” and “Therapist,” have raised eyebrows due to their descriptions and disclaimers.
Anand emphasized the company’s commitment to entertainment and safety, aiming to foster a new creator ecosystem around AI entertainment. He noted the platform’s potential for interactive AI entertainment, contrasting it with passive consumption on social media.
“AI can power a very, very powerful personal entertainment experience unlike anything we’ve seen in the last 10 years in social media, and definitely nothing like what TV used to be,” Anand remarked.
Leadership and Market Strategy
With a background at Microsoft and Meta, Anand brings significant experience to Character.AI’s approximately 70-person team. His objectives include attracting more creators to develop new chatbot characters and enhancing the social feed for sharing content created with Character.AI.
This social feature could differentiate Character.AI from competitors like ChatGPT, which is also seeing users form personal connections with its AI. However, privacy concerns remain, as evidenced by Meta’s experience with its app for sharing AI-generated creations.
Retaining and expanding the workforce is another challenge for Anand, as the AI talent war intensifies. Character.AI co-founder and former CEO Noam Shazeer was recently recruited back to Google, highlighting the fierce competition for skilled professionals.
“It is hard, I will not lie,” Anand acknowledged. “The good news for me as CEO is all the people we have here are very, very passionate and mission-driven.”
As Character.AI navigates these challenges, Anand’s leadership will be crucial in balancing innovation with safety, ensuring the platform’s growth while safeguarding its users, especially the younger ones. The company’s future will likely depend on its ability to adapt to the evolving AI landscape and address the complex issues surrounding AI interaction.
