Character Technologies (Character.AI)

Stories

AI chatbot makers build age gates for minors under legal pressure

Settled wrongful-death suits over teen users in January 2026

Ask ChatGPT the wrong question now, and if the system guesses you are under 18, it answers like a careful teacher instead of a confidant. On August 18, OpenAI began rolling out ChatGPT for Teens, a stricter version for ages 13 to 17 that it can switch on without being asked.

Updated Aug 18

AI companies face mounting legal liability as chatbots are linked to deaths and violence

Rule Changes

Settled teen suicide lawsuits; under investigation by multiple state AGs

Florida's attorney general announced a formal investigation into OpenAI on April 9, 2026, alleging ChatGPT played a role in the April 2025 mass shooting at Florida State University that killed two and injured five. Court records show the shooter entered more than 270 prompts asking how the country would react to a campus shooting, when the student union is busiest, and how to operate his firearms.

Updated May 31