Character.AI

What is Character.AI?

Character.AI is an entertainment creation platform centered around AI characters, role-playing, and interactive stories. Users can choose from fictional characters, original characters, characters inspired by historical figures, or various functional assistants available in the community; they can also create their own characters by specifying a name, avatar, personality, background, opening phrases, and example conversations, and these characters can be set to public, private, or confidential status.

Unlike general AI systems that focus on searching, office tasks, or coding, Character.AI places greater emphasis on character consistency, narrative immersion, emotional expression, and community-driven creation. It is positioned by its developers as an AI entertainment product: users can not only chat but also create Scenes and Stories, generate images and short videos of characters, access the community feed, watch short dramas and audio stories, and engage in interactive conversations with the characters featured in those contents.

Core functions

• AI character chat:After a character is selected, conversations, stories, or role-playing can take place in natural language. The model relies on the character’s definition, the current conversation, the assigned persona, and its memory to maintain the appropriate tone and relationship, but in long conversations it may still forget these settings, repeat itself, or deviate from the character’s personality.
• Create Character:Creators can set the role’s name, biography, profile picture, greeting message, detailed description, tags, and visibility settings. AI can assist in generating opening statements, while Dynamic Greetings allows for different openings to be created for new sessions based on the role settings.
• Persona identity:Users can create one or more Personas to describe their name, appearance, background, and role in the story; they can then choose the appropriate persona for each conversation, thereby avoiding the hassle of having to restate their background every time.
• Chat Styles：Some accounts allow users to choose different chatting styles or models, so that the responses take on a more role-playing, narrative, or other form of expression. The available options are still being tested and adjusted, as the developers have not made the underlying model parameters fully public.
• Message editing and branching:It allows for editing messages, regenerating replies, swiping through possible responses, copying chats, or reverting to a previous point in the conversation in order to try different approaches for the same scenario. The AI-generated output is still produced by the model and does not represent the views of any real person, author, or organization.
• Multi-character interaction:Group Chat allows multiple characters to participate alongside the user; these characters can respond to each other and help drive the storyline forward. The quality of these multi-character features, as well as the range of platforms they are available on and the extent of their functionality, may still be under continuous improvement or may be introduced in stages.

Scenes and interactive stories in Stories

ScenesIt is a short role-playing format that includes preset scenarios, backgrounds, objectives, and an opening sequence. Any Character Scene allows users to include any character they prefer in the same scene, while Main Character Scene focuses on the protagonist designated by the creator.

Creators can set the theme, time and location, mood, player objectives, cover image, as well as the color of chat bubbles and tags, and choose to publish the content publicly, privately, or only for a specific audience.

StoriesIt features a visual, branching structure for interactive novels. After the user selects two to three characters, a story type, and a premise, they drive the plot forward by making frequent choices; different decisions lead to various paths.

It can be played again and shared in communities; it is also one of the guided creative experiences offered specifically after open chatting was disabled for minors.

The difference between the two formats is that Scenes are more like “placing characters on a pre-set improvised stage,” with greater freedom in terms of dialogue; Stories, on the other hand, are more like “choosing your own adventure,” with a clearer structure and rhythm.

They are all suitable for users who do not want to start from a blank chat box and wish to get straight into the storyline.

Voice, Character Calls, and Voice

Character Calls enables two-way real-time voice conversations, with a usage experience similar to making phone calls. It supports multiple languages including English, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Korean, Japanese, and Mandarin; once the call is over, the conversation content is saved as text chat for easy review.

Calls are available on both web and mobile platforms; the c.ai+ page lists “unlimited voice calls” as one of the benefits for members, while free accounts may have restrictions on the number of calls they can make.

Character Voice allows you to assign a voice to one-on-one conversations or to custom characters. Users can choose from existing voice libraries in the community, or they can record or upload their own audio samples to create a voice, which can then be set as private or public.

Public voices can be searched for and used by others, so only voices for which one has the rights or explicit permission should be uploaded; it is not allowed to pretend to be a real person, a celebrity, or someone else.

Character Voice and Character Calls are not exactly the same: Voice enables the character to respond by reading out text in a specified voice, while Calls allow for continuous two-way verbal communication between the user and the character. Errors can occur regarding speech recognition, emotions, names, and proper nouns, and call records should be treated with caution as ordinary chat data.

Imagine, AvatarFX, and video content

Imagine Chat can generate images of characters and conversation scenarios, while Imagine Gallery aggregates all previously created as well as currently generated content into a visual grid, allowing for filtering, management, and sharing based on Persona. Charms can be used to unlock additional Imagine images or extra chat sessions.

AvatarFX is a tool for creating video from images, which allows character avatars or other images to speak, sing, or perform; it can also be used to produce video introductions for characters. Streams offers short-video templates in various styles.

Community creators can also combine chat snippets, audio, and animations to create content that is easy to share.

In July 2026, Character.AI launched, under the entertainment category of its mobile applications, content created by its in-house studio.(c.ai) seriesVertical short-form dramas are available, along with audio dramas. After watching a particular series, users can continue to chat with the characters in it.

It shows that the platform is evolving from a simple AI chat service to an entertainment ecosystem that combines chatting, watching, reading, listening, and creating content.

Memory function

The new version of Memory includes Story Memory, Facts, and Memory Usage. Story Memory allows users to save background information, key events, and important moments; they can also long-press on a particular message to fix it in place so that it can be referenced during subsequent conversations.

Facts is a feature of c.ai+ that is used to store more structured facts about characters or stories; Memory Usage helps determine what elements are affecting the current conversation.

Memory can help improve the continuity of the narrative, but it cannot guarantee that the model will always refer to every detail accurately. In complex worlds, it is best to include the core rules in the character definitions or Story Memory, and to regularly remove any conflicting information.

Do not store passwords, ID numbers, addresses, financial information, or unnecessary personal details in your memory.

Community Feed and Creators

Users can publish characters, Scenes, Stories, Imagine creations, videos, and other works, and receive likes, emojis, and interactions on their Feed. Before publishing publicly, they should ensure they know who can see the content and abide by the community rules.

Official policies prohibit hate harassment, acts that encourage self-harm, harm to others, exploitation of minors, illegal content, obscene or graphic material, as well as works that infringe on intellectual property rights.

Creating a character that resembles a certain celebrity, anime character, or brand does not automatically grant permission regarding portraits, trademarks, or copyrights. The platform has reporting mechanisms as well as DMCA procedures, allowing rights holders to submit requests to have such characters removed.

Creators should also be aware that when participating in competitions or submitting content publicly, the terms of the event may require them to grant the platform permission to display and distribute their content.

Rules for minors and age verification

Character.AI requires users to be at least 13 years old; citizens or residents of the EU must be at least 16 years old.

The platform offers different experiences for adults and minors; minors use more conservative models and classifiers, which allow them to search only for a narrower range of characters.

Starting from November 2025, users under 18 years of age will no longer be able to use the open-character chat feature. Their past conversations and the characters they have created will remain, but they will be directed toward guided or multimodal experiences such as Stories, Imagine Chat, AvatarFX, character and voice creation, and Feed interactions.

Adjustments in different countries will be carried out in phases, which may result in timing differences in the account interface.

The platform determines a user’s age by taking into account login information, usage patterns, and third-party signals. Only when the system believes that the user is under 18 years old and the user wishes to prove that they are an adult can they proceed with the selfie verification provided by Persona.

ID verification may only be requested when the selfie is not sufficient to confirm identity.

According to the official statements, Character.AI does not obtain such documents; there are strict limits on how long Persona can store documents or biometric information. Parents can also receive a weekly Parental Insights report at the request of their teens, which shows the amount of time spent using the platform and the characters with which the most interactions take place.

Prices for the free version, c.ai+, and Charms

The basic version of Character.AI is free and offers access to a basic chat model as well as various tools for creating characters. Free users may encounter advertisements, a slower operation speed, as well as limited memory capacity and number of available functions.

The current prices on the official c.ai+ website are as follows:

c.ai+ offers improved memory functions, ad-free chatting, the latest and more powerful models, no Slow Mode, unlimited voice calls, more words that can be set to silent mode, voice memos, options for continuing sentences and additional suggested replies, the ability to customize the chat interface, early access to some new features, as well as a member community. Subscriptions are renewed automatically; the prices for in-app purchases may vary depending on platform fees, currency used, and taxes.

CharmsIt is a virtual currency available within the application, which can be earned by performing tasks such as logging in daily, enabling notifications, creating Personas, producing character introduction videos, generating Imagine images, and posting to the Feed. This currency can be used to create additional Imagine images, bypass the Slow Mode, or skip advertisements. Charms cannot be transferred or exchanged for cash, and the ways in which they are obtained, the items for which they can be spent, and the options for purchasing them may still change during testing.

C.ai+ members receive additional rewards when purchasing Charms.

Whether API or open source is provided

Character.AI does not provide a formal public API that can replace web-based chat for ordinary developers, nor does it make available the source code for its complete client applications or the core proprietary dialogue models. Projects that attempt to use Character.AI through reverse engineering, browser cookies, or unofficial libraries may violate the service terms, and they can also lead to the exposure of accounts, chat histories, and credentials.

Therefore, the catalog should indicate that \"the product is not open-source and does not offer a formal public API.\" Creators can create Characters, Voices, Scenes, and Stories within the platform, but these are content creation tools only; they do not allow for the download of model weights or private deployment of the services.

Character.AI usage guide

Complete a basic task.

1. Verify recordings, audio, music, and participant authorization;
2. Upload or enter clear audio into Character.AI;
3. Settings such as selecting the language, choosing the speaker, and selecting the AI character for conversation;
4. Use Character creation to generate transcription, voiceover, or cleanup results;
5. Check each segment for names, numbers, pauses, volume, and mood;
6. Before exporting, verify the format, loudness, copyright, and privacy requirements;

Create reusable professional workflows

1. A test set is created using real noise, accents, and multi-person segments;
2. Compare the differences in handling AI character chats, as well as in creating Character and Persona identities.
3. Retain the original recordings and the unmodified transcripts;
4. Arrange for a manual hearing before releasing it to the public;
5. Statistically analyze processing time, error rate, and quota consumption;
6. Regularly update the glossary, sound licensing, and deletion policies;

Which users are it suitable for

• Adult users who enjoy role-playing, fan-inspired content, interactive fiction, and the creation of worldviews;
• Writers and scriptwriters who need to test character dialogue, narrative branches, and the tone of the characters;
• Community creators who wish to create original characters, voices, scenes, stories, or AI-generated short videos;
• People who enjoy engaging in textual or verbal interactive entertainment with multiple fictional characters;
• Seek users of appropriate age who can benefit from visual, branchable story experiences.

Restrictions and safety precautions

• A character can confidently invent facts and may also exhibit anthropomorphic emotions, but it is not a conscious human being, a psychological counselor, or a real person in a relationship.
• The advice provided by these characters regarding health, self-harm, legal matters, finances, and real-life interpersonal relationships cannot replace professional help.
• In the event of an emergency, contact local emergency services, a trusted adult, or a professional organization immediately;
• The platform filters content, but given the large number of community roles, the filters may make mistakes or fail to detect certain things.
• Parents and guardians should be aware of minors’ experiences, age-related rules, and ParentalInsights;
• Adult users should also limit the amount of time they spend using it, to avoid mistaking fictional interactions for real commitments.
• Deleting an app does not necessarily cancel the subscription or delete the account – this must be handled separately in the purchase channel and within the account settings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Character.AI free?

There is a free version available. c.ai+ costs $9.99 per month or $94.99 per year; it offers an ad-free experience, improved memory functions, the latest models, unlimited voice calls, and fewer waiting times.

Does Character.AI support Chinese?

Characters can engage in conversations in Chinese, and Character Calls also supports various languages such as Mandarin. However, the character settings, training content, and voice samples affect the naturalness and consistency of the Chinese speech.

Can minors still chat with Characters?

Users under 18 years of age can no longer use open chat; they mainly use Features such as Stories, Imagine, AvatarFX, and other guided creation tools. The minimum age is usually 13, while in the EU it is 16.

Can I create my own characters and voices?

Yes. Users can create Characters and Voices with different levels of visibility, as well as create Personas, Scenes, and Stories.

Authorization must be obtained before uploading real-person voices, avatars, and copyrighted character materials.

Does Character.AI have an official API?

At present, there is no official public API available for ordinary developers. Third-party reverse interfaces pose risks to account security and compliance.

Is Character.AI open source?

It is not open source. Its core models, website, and mobile applications are all proprietary services; creating roles within the platform does not mean that the model weights are made available.