Character.AI aims to reassure parents by introducing a long-awaited parental control feature called "Parental Insights". This new option allows teenagers to send a weekly report about their chatbot usage to a parent's email, detailing daily time spent on the platform, popular characters interacted with, and the duration spent with each chatbot.
However, it's important to note that this feature provides only an overview of children's activity, not a complete log of their conversations. Parents won't have access to the messages exchanged, and teens have the ability to configure the report, which means they can conceal certain information.
Character.AI has faced controversy due to accusations of promoting addiction, inappropriate content, and self-harm among its young users. Following a tragic incident where a teenager's suicide was linked to the platform, the company has implemented new safety features, including automated reporting of suicide-related content and stricter content filters for minors.
