Character.ai Gave Up on AGI. Now It's Selling Stories
12 days ago
- #child-safety
- #role-play
- #AI-entertainment
- Karandeep Anand's 6-year-old daughter interacts with an AI chatbot, Character.AI, for storytelling.
- Character.AI shifted focus from AGI models to AI entertainment under Anand's leadership.
- The company now uses open-source models like Meta’s Llama and Alibaba’s Qwen.
- Character.AI is monetizing through subscriptions and ads, aiming for $50M revenue by year-end.
- A lawsuit and safety concerns have prompted stricter safeguards for under-18 users.
- The platform emphasizes role-play over companionship, with 20% usage for companionship.
- Content moderation and safety measures are key priorities, including parental insights.
- Character.AI differentiates itself as an entertainment engine, not just a chatbot service.
- Strict limitations on video generation tools prevent misuse and deepfakes.
- Anand stresses the importance of safe, engaging AI interactions for Gen Z users.