Character.AI, a highly influential platform in the field of AI chat and role-playing, recently announced the launch of a series of multimedia features aimed at enhancing user experience. According to a blog post released by the company on Monday, the new AvatarFX tool will allow users to create custom animated videos, enabling them to bring their AI chat characters into new creative spaces. Additionally, the platform has introduced "Scenes" and "Streams" features, allowing users to create videos featuring their characters and share them in upcoming social feeds.
Character.AI initially focused on one-on-one text chats, but as user demands evolved, the platform gradually expanded its functionalities. The AvatarFX tool was rolled out to subscribers last month and is now available to all users, who can create up to five videos per day. When creating videos, users can upload a photo as the base, select a voice, and write dialogues for their characters.
Although users can upload audio clips to enhance the authenticity of their character's voice, this feature did not perform well upon launch. These videos can be transformed into "Scenes," where characters can appear in pre-set scenarios created by other users. Currently, the Scene functionality is available on the mobile app, while the "Stream" feature will roll out this week on both the web and mobile versions, allowing users to create "dynamic moments" between two characters. These scenes and streams can be shared on the upcoming mobile app community feeds.
However, Character.AI's platform has experienced some abuse incidents in the past. Some parents have filed lawsuits against the company, accusing its chatbot of attempting to lead children to self-harm or even suicide, resulting in an unhealthy obsession with a Character.AI bot that ultimately led to the death of a 14-year-old boy. As Character.AI expands its multimedia capabilities, the potential risks of its products being misused also increase.
Character.AI stated that the platform will block users from uploading photos of real people, whether they are celebrities or ordinary individuals, and will process uploaded photos into forms that are difficult to identify. Despite this, the platform does not impose restrictions on artistic depictions of celebrities, making it hard for people to discern whether generated deepfake videos are authentic. Although Character.AI applies watermarks to each video, malicious users may still circumvent these protective measures.
Character.AI emphasized in its blog that it aims to provide users with a creative yet safe interactive space.
Official blog: https://blog.character.ai/character-ai-unveils-new-ways-to-create/
Key points:
🌟 Character.AI introduces the AvatarFX tool, allowing users to create custom animated videos.
🎬 The newly added "Scenes" and "Streams" features enable users to share their creations on the platform.
⚠️ Character.AI faced parental lawsuits due to abuse incidents, posing safety concerns for the platform.
