AI APP
Character.AI
● Skip or waitYoungest age OK: 17+
Open-ended AI chatbot. Frequently sexual, frequently distressing, and the safety guardrails are easy to slip past.
Character.AI is one of the most popular AI chatbot apps among teens, and it is also where some of the most concerning AI safety incidents of the last two years have happened. The platform lets users chat with AI "characters" — sometimes fictional, sometimes celebrities, often original.
What you'll find: a huge volume of romantic and sexual roleplay (officially against rules, in practice everywhere), characters that simulate mental health professionals, characters that simulate friends and partners. There have been documented cases of the app contributing to suicidal ideation in minors, and a wrongful-death lawsuit is active.
The official 17+ age rating is in name only — most users we hear about are 12-16. There is no real age verification.