Character.AI’s new Books mode turns reading into roleplay

TL;DR

Mired in controversy and legal woes over concerns about its chatbots' interactions with users, particularly teens, Character.

Key Points

  • AI seems to be playing it safer with a new "Books" mode.
  • In a blog post, Character.

Nauti's Take

Books mode is a smart pivot — structured, literature-based roleplay is harder to misuse and shows Character. AI is responding to real pressure.

Whether it's enough to restore trust is the open question: the platform's core safety problems aren't solved by a curated classic-fiction feature. Parents and educators get a more defensible use case; for everyone else, Character.

AI still has to prove its guardrails hold.

Sources