(WSJ) – Chatbot maker Character[dot]AI is cutting off access, citing mental-health concerns. Teens are distraught: ‘I cried over it for days.’

Character.AI’s first version, launched in 2022, offered some of the earliest chatbots available to consumers. It quickly gained traction among people who wanted to role play with its customizable characters, netting the company about 20 million monthly users today.

The decision to block teens follows the deaths of at least two who killed themselves after using Character.AI’s chatbots. The company now faces questions from regulators and mental-health professionals about the role of this emerging technology in the lives of its most vulnerable users, as well as lawsuits from parents of dead teens.

Teens are angry. They’re sad. In losing access to their chatbots, they say they will miss a creative outlet, a source of companionship, and in some cases, a mental-health support. (Read More)