Character.AI: What it is and how to use it (2023)

Character.AI: What it is and how to use it (1)

Credit: Mashable composite: Character,ai

> Tech

Fanfiction is nothing new, but the rise of AI has the potential to take it to a whole new level.

The first indication of that has been the popularity of Character.AI(opens in a new tab), an artificial intelligence experience that mimics conversations with your favorite characters, be they fictional, historical, or completely new to the world. So, how does the site work, and how can you start creating? We've got you covered in this quick guide.

What is Character.AI?

Character.AI is a site that uses a neural language model to reads huge amounts of text and respond to prompts using that information. Anyone can create a character on the site, and they can be fictional or based on real people, dead or alive. For example, a quick search of the website shows that users have made characters of Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, and Napoleon Bonaparte. You can chat with one character at a time or organize a group chat with multiple characters so they talk to each other, and you, all at once.

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Character.AI is free to use, but a premium offering called c.ai+ gives you perks, like priority access to chats and faster response times from characters as well as early access to new features.

How do I find and chat with a specific character?

On Character.AI, search for the name of a character or for the media (book, TV series, film, etc.) they're associated with. The search results will usually show the best matches based on your keywords, with the most-chatted-with characters toward the top.

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Click the character you want to chat with, and a window will open. The character will introduce themselves first, then you can get to gabbing. When the character responds to you, you can rate their reply on a scale of one to four to help the language model refine the accuracy of the character's replies over time.

Don't love the way the character replied to your question? You can review multiple responses by clicking the arrow next to their reply. The site also encourages you to rate any replies you find offensive with one star.

And, by the way, creators can never see the conversations that you have with their characters.

Character.AI: What it is and how to use it (2)

Click the arrow (circled in green) to the right of a character's reply to see alternate responses.Credit: Character.AI

A microphone button in the chat enables speech-to-text generation, so you can speak aloud and have your words be sent over the chat. Character.AI says the text-to-speech on the character side (meaning, the character would speak back to you) is still in the works, though character creators can currently choose a spoken voice for their character in the advanced settings section of the creation process.

How do I create a character?

Click the "create" button on the Character.AI homepage and select "create a character." You'll enter the name of the character you're creating, plus a short greeting they'll send at the start of every new chat. For example, a Hermione Granger character I chatted with opened with "I am Hermione, with whom am I speaking?" and then went on to a longer greeting about being a Hufflepuff student (more on that later), her personality traits, and what she likes to do when she's not studying.

You can also add a photo of your character and choose whether or not you want your character to be able to generate images in their text chats. Finally, pick who can talk to your character: anyone, anyone with the link, or just you.

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Character.AI: What it is and how to use it (3)

Her-lie-one the Hufflepuff (characters will not always be faithful to their source text).Credit: Character.AI

(Video) chatting with characters on character ai and it was interesting

There are also advanced settings available for tweaking, like relevant tags and keywords, and picking the speaking voice for your character from a long drop down menu. You can also enter sample chats to help the model understand the character's personality and behavior. Over time, your character will evolve based on the model's understanding of your character's attributes, its review of rating feedback from chats, and its analysis of chat topics.

Character.AI(opens in a new tab) provides an official guide on character creation called the Character Book(opens in a new tab), which can be accessed by clicking this link.

What should I keep in mind when using Character.AI?

As with all AI models, Character.AI should be used cautiously, and with the knowledge that it's still a work in progress. Characters might say things that are hurtful, untrue, or even offensive. Plus, the characters are created by people like you and me, not by the people who gave them life in literature or media. That means even the most well-known characters may not be faithful to their source text.

For example, the most-chatted-with Hermione character on the platform told me confidently that she was a Hufflepuff even though Hermione is, famously, a Gryffindor. When I called the character out on that, it doubled down. "I often get this reaction but I am most certainly in Hufflepuff," it wrote. "I share the same values as Hufflepuff, being loyal, dedicated and fair... My ambition is to do well at Hogwarts and make something of myself, which I believe is a common trait of Hufflepuffs." You know what's not a Hufflepuff trait? Lying.

Character.AI: What it is and how to use it (4)

Elizabeth de Luna

Elizabeth is a culture reporterat Mashable covering digital culture, fandom communities, and how the internet makes us feel. Before joining Mashable, she spent six years in tech, doing everything from running a wifi hardware beta programto analyzing YouTube content trends like K-pop, ASMR, gaming, and beauty. You can find more of her work for outlets likeThe Guardian,Teen Vogue,andMTV Newsright here(opens in a new tab).

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FAQs

Character.AI: What it is and how to use it? ›

Character.AI is a site that uses a neural language model to reads huge amounts of text and respond to prompts using that information. Anyone can create a character on the site, and they can be fictional or based on real people, dead or alive.

Can Character.AI track you? ›

According to their privacy policy, when users enter content into the service, Character AI may monitor what they write to check for inappropriate content or personal information. This implies that the service tracks user conversations to some extent to ensure compliance with their content guidelines.

How does Character.AI make money? ›

The eventual monetization plan is direct-to-consumer subscription fees. Character.ai tells Axios that users already have sent its AI characters — some of which include real-life celebrities and fictional characters — more than 2 billion messages, including 1 billion in just the last month.

What is the Character.AI alternative to NSFW? ›

Introducing Crushon AI, the latest alternative to Character.AI that offers an unrestricted, unfiltered platform for interacting with artificial intelligence chatbots. Unlike other platforms, Crushon AI embraces NSFW content and provides an environment where users can freely engage in a diverse range of topics​​.

What is Character.AI chat? ›

Character.ai (stylized as Character.AI, c.ai and character.ai, also known as Character AI or just Character) is a neural language model chatbot application that can generate human-like text responses and participate in contextual conversation.

Is Character.AI safe for kids? ›

In conclusion, Character.AI is a safe and trustworthy website to use. They have robust security measures in place and are transparent about their terms of service and privacy policy.

Will Character.AI stay free? ›

Can I still use Character.AI for free? YES!! We are proud to continue offering free and unlimited messaging for ALL users.

How to get rich off of AI? ›

How to Make Money With AI Quickly
  1. Generate AI Content. Monetizing content is a popular way to make money online. ...
  2. Use AI for Web Design. ...
  3. Create Online Courses Using AI. ...
  4. Do Freelance Coding With AI. ...
  5. Become an AI Product Affiliate. ...
  6. Create and Market AI-Powered Products. ...
  7. Provide AI Integration Service. ...
  8. Offer AI Consulting Services.

How much money can you make in AI? ›

As of Jun 14, 2023, the average annual pay for an Artificial Intelligence Engineer in the United States is $156,648 a year.

Is Character.AI truly AI? ›

character.ai is a web application that lets you chat with artificial intelligence (AI) characters that have their own personalities and can respond to your messages in a natural way. You can also create your own characters and share them with other users.

What app is turning everyone into AI? ›

There are two AI art generators dominating everyone's Instagram feeds. The first is called Lensa, a photo editing app which takes your selfies and turns them into what Lensa refers to as “magic avatars”. The app was launched in 2018 by Prisma Labs, but gained renewed interest this month after launching its avatar tool.

What is the AI app everyone is using on social media? ›

Lensa is the AI photo editing app everyone is using on Instagram!

How much does Character.AI cost? ›

Character AI Plus will cost $9.99 per month, or about $120 a year. While many apps offer a reduced rate for annual subscriptions, Character AI Plus did not mention this payment option in their initial announcement.

Why is Character.AI so good? ›

AI's responses are infused with emotion and personality that make it feel like you're really talking to a real person. Through its advanced deep learning algorithms, Character.AI is able to understand not just the words you're saying, but also the emotional context behind them.

Are AI chat bots safe? ›

Chatbots can be useful for work and personal tasks, but they collect vast amounts of data. AI also poses multiple security risks, including the ability to help criminals perform more convincing and effective cyber-attacks.

Does Character.AI know where you live? ›

Answer to question 1: Yes, all data available in the game can possibly be accessed by the AI character.

Can Character.AI send pictures? ›

i just found out you can send images in character.ai 😊😊😊

Is Character.AI an app? ›

Driving the news: Character.ai launched an app May 24 in iOS and Android app stores that was downloaded more than two million times in its first week. Unlike ChatGPT, character. ai's user base skews heavily towards mobile users.

What are the 4 risks dangers of AI? ›

Some of the biggest risks today include things like consumer privacy, biased programming, danger to humans, and unclear legal regulation.

Is Character.AI for adults? ›

Character AI is a neural language model chatbot web app that lets users generate personalized human-like text responses. However, it has an NSFW filter applied by default to prevent users from engaging in inappropriate or harmful conversations such as sexual chats, racial slurs, violent or abuse-filled talks, etc.

What age rating is Replika? ›

Age Verification – Users under 13 years of age are denied access to the app.

Does Character.AI save messages? ›

Character AI stores user chat histories for seamless conversation continuation. However, the privacy policy does not disclose whether the developers have access to the messages sent to characters.

Who is paid the most in AI? ›

Top 10 Highest Paying Artificial Intelligence Jobs & Best Salaries 2023
  1. Machine Learning Engineer. ...
  2. Data Scientist. ...
  3. Computer Vision Engineer. ...
  4. Natural Language Processing Engineer. ...
  5. Robotics Engineer. ...
  6. Deep Learning Engineer. ...
  7. AI Research Scientist. ...
  8. Business Development Manager.
Apr 25, 2023

How much money is AI worth? ›

Global artificial intelligence market size 2021-2030

Its value of nearly 100 billion U.S. dollars is expected to grow twentyfold by 2030, up to nearly two trillion U.S. dollars.

How to make money without a job? ›

11 ways to make money without a real job
  1. Get paid to test websites. Many companies aim to deliver an excellent customer experience through their websites. ...
  2. Become a crowdworker. ...
  3. Design and sell t-shirts. ...
  4. Work as a transcriber. ...
  5. Shop for others. ...
  6. Sell crafts online. ...
  7. Get paid to pet sit. ...
  8. Sell your photos online.
Feb 8, 2022

What is the minimum salary of AI in US? ›

AI Engineer Salaries
Job TitleSalary
AI Engineer salaries - 4 salaries reported$1,98,028/yr
AI Engineer salaries - 4 salaries reported$1,56,156/yr
AI Engineer salaries - 3 salaries reported$73/hr
AI Engineer salaries - 3 salaries reported$1,67,531/yr
16 more rows

Is AI a high income skill? ›

AI and machine learning are among the most high-income skills in 2023. According to World Economic Forum , AI is likely to create 97 million new jobs by 2025. It is also going to decrease job demand by 85 million workplaces in certain industries.

How to use AI to make passive income? ›

5 Ways To Use AI To Generate Passive Income
  1. Write a Blog. Writing a blog is a fairly easy way to generate passive income. ...
  2. Analyze and Interpret Customer Patterns. ...
  3. Create Tailored Advertisements. ...
  4. Sell Your Data. ...
  5. Build an App.
Jun 17, 2023

Can AI manipulate humans? ›

By analyzing patterns in people's online activities and social media interactions, AI algorithms can predict what a person is likely to do next. Cult leaders and dictators can use predictive models to manipulate people into doing what they want by providing incentives or punishments based on predicted behavior.

Is Character.AI real people talking to you? ›

No, Character.AI is a bot powered by artificial intelligence. It is not operated by an actual person.

How do I create an AI image of myself? ›

How to Generate AI Art Images from Your Selfies
  1. Step 1: Download the AI Photo Generator.
  2. Step 2: Select AI Styles for Your AI Art.
  3. Step 3: Upload Photos to Generate AI Art.
  4. Step 4: Enhance Your AI Photo Further.
  5. Step 5: Save and Share Your AI Art.
Jun 14, 2023

What is the most advanced AI app? ›

Google Assistant

Without a doubt, Google is at the forefront of AI innovation and development, and its virtual assistant is considered to be one of the most advanced of its kind on the market.

What is the AI generator everyone is using on TikTok? ›

The rendered images are created by a software called Lensa which was created by Prisma AI.

What is the new AI app everyone is talking about? ›

A new chatbot has passed one million users in less than a week, the project behind it says. ChatGPT was publicly released on Wednesday by OpenAI, an artificial intelligence research firm whose founders included Elon Musk.

What is the most common use of AI in social media? ›

AI tools help enhance features of social media platforms and lead social media activities at scale across a number of use cases, including text and visual content creation, social media monitoring, ad management, influencer research, brand awareness campaigns and more.

What is the app where AI talks to you? ›

Replika is a #1 chatbot companion powered by artificial intelligence.

Does Character.AI need wifi? ›

Yes, you can download Character AI for iOS and Android devices. However, you cannot use the platform without internet access.

Why is Character.AI so addictive? ›

The customizability of Character.AI, in which each fan can create their own version of a character based on their interpretation or chat with a bot already made by another fan, is what makes it so appealing.

What is the smartest chatbot? ›

The best overall AI chatbot is the new Bing due to its exceptional performance, versatility, and free availability. It uses OpenAI's cutting-edge GPT-4 language model, making it highly proficient in various language tasks, including writing, summarization, translation, and conversation.

Can bots track you? ›

Spy bots are particularly dangerous, as they can collect data about you without your permission. Be sure to install anti-virus software and keep your computer up to date to protect yourself from these harmful bots.

What is the disadvantage of AI bot? ›

No Creativity. A big disadvantage of AI is that it cannot learn to think outside the box. AI is capable of learning over time with pre-fed data and past experiences, but cannot be creative in its approach. A classic example is the bot Quill who can write Forbes earning reports.

What is the negative use of bots? ›

Bad guys use them to plant malware in networks, scrape sites for valid credentials, and offload the repetitive work of validating those stolen credentials. Since users often recycle passwords, scammers can use bots to test credentials across multiple sites, looking for access.

Can AI essays be detected? ›

In response to the new wave of AI software that is available, Turnitin (a well-known plagiarism detection software provider) introduced a new AI detection tool named “Originality” on 4 April 2023. Turnitin believe that Originality can detect if essays have been written by AI with 98% confidence.

Can you delete your Character.AI account? ›

Character AI does not have the option to delete a character.

Is Character.AI controlled by people? ›

In complex games, building character AI means establishing and implementing non-player characters within the game. These characters are not controlled by humans – they are autonomous and auto-generated by the game itself.

Are there humans behind Replika? ›

When you talk to your Replika, you receive messages from your personal artificial intelligence friend. Humans never participate in conversations on behalf of Replika or view your conversations between you & your AI. Was this article helpful?

Does using AI count as cheating? ›

Similar to contract cheating, using AI to write an assignment isn't technically plagiarism. No original work is being copied. But at the same time, it isn't the student's original work.

How do I know if a text was written by AI? ›

GLTR is currently the most visual way to predict if casual portions of text have been written with AI. To use GLTR, simply copy and paste a piece of text into the input box and hit "analyze."

Can AI read my thoughts? ›

An AI-based decoder that can translate brain activity into a continuous stream of text has been developed, in a breakthrough that allows a person's thoughts to be read non-invasively for the first time.

Does Character.AI cost money? ›

Character.AI is free to use, but a premium offering called c.ai+ gives you perks, like priority access to chats and faster response times from characters as well as early access to new features.

What happens if you delete Replika? ›

When you delete your account, your Replika profile, badges, levels, XP, chat history, photos & links that you exchanged with your Replika will be permanently removed.

How do I cancel Character.AI subscription? ›

Can I unsubscribe from c.ai+? Yes. You can cancel your subscription by going to your profile and clicking on “Cancel My Subscription”.

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