Description
Character.AI
Overview
Character.AI is the leading AI chatbot personality platform where users can create, share, and interact with AI characters that simulate human conversations. From historical figures and celebrities to fictional characters and original companions.
Founded in September 2022 by Noam Shazeer (co-author of "Attention is All You Need") and Daniel De Freitas, both ex-Google (LaMDA developers). Headquarters in Palo Alto, California.
In August 2024, Google performed a $2.7B "acqui-hire", bringing Shazeer and De Freitas back to DeepMind along with ~30 researchers. Character.AI continues operating independently under interim CEO Dominic Perella.
With 20-28M monthly active users, 223M+ visits/month, 18M+ characters created, and users spending ~2 hours daily on the platform, Character.AI is the second most popular AI chatbot after ChatGPT.
The Google Deal (August 2024)
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Type | Acqui-hire (not full acquisition) |
| Value | ~$2.7B |
| Founders | Return to Google DeepMind |
| Employees | ~30 researchers leave with founders |
| Interim CEO | Dominic Perella (ex-General Counsel) |
| License | Google gets non-exclusive LLM license |
| Investor payout | $88/share (~2.5x previous valuation) |
| Independence | Character.AI continues as separate company |
Main Features
Character Creation
- Design personalities with detailed descriptions
- Set tone, knowledge, behavior
- Greeting prompts to start conversations
- Up to 3,200 characters of description impact behavior
- Publish for community or keep private
Character Types
| Type | Examples |
|---|---|
| Fictional | Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy, anime characters |
| Celebrities | AI versions of famous people |
| Historical | Einstein, Cleopatra, historical figures |
| Original | Companions, tutors, creatives |
| Utility | Language assistants, coaches, therapists |
Chat Features
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Unlimited conversations | No message limits |
| Contextual memory | Remembers previous conversations |
| Group Chats | Multiple characters + humans |
| Character Calls | Voice calls with characters |
| Scenes | Create and share AI scenes |
| Streams | TikTok-style short videos |
Social Features (2024-2025)
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Social Feed | Share chat snippets |
| AvatarFX | Animated videos of characters talking |
| Imagine | Image generation |
| Community | 2.5M subreddit members |
Pricing (2025)
Free Plan
| Feature | Included |
|---|---|
| Unlimited messages | ✅ |
| Access to all characters | ✅ |
| Create characters | ✅ |
| Community interaction | ✅ |
| Waiting room at peaks | ⚠️ May occur |
c.ai+ (Premium)
| Price | Features |
|---|---|
| $9.99/mo | Monthly price |
| $94.99/year | ~$7.92/mo (20% savings) |
| c.ai+ Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Priority Access | No waiting room |
| Faster responses | Less wait time |
| Voice Calls | Voice calls with characters |
| Better Memory | Improved conversation memory |
| Chat Styles | Access to better models |
| Higher Limits | More swipes, muted words |
| No ads | Interruption-free experience |
| Early Access | New features first |
| Community Forum | Exclusive access |
Key Metrics (2025)
Users and Engagement
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| MAU (Monthly Active Users) | 20-28M |
| Monthly visits | 223M+ |
| Average session time | 17 min 23 sec |
| Total daily time | ~2 hours |
| Pages per visit | 9.86 |
| Bounce rate | 33.2% |
| Mobile traffic | 74-83% |
Content
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Characters created | 18M+ |
| New characters/month | 9M+ |
| Greeting prompts | 2.1M+ |
| Page views/month | 3.14B |
Demographics
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Age 18-24 | 51.8% |
| Male gender | 51.4% |
| Female gender | 48.6% |
| USA traffic | 24.7-32% |
Revenue and Funding
Revenue
| Year | Revenue |
|---|---|
| 2023 | $15.2M |
| 2024 | $32.2M |
| 2025 (projected) | $50.1M |
| 2032 (projected) | $250M |
Funding
| Round | Date | Amount | Lead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Series A | Mar 2023 | $150M | Andreessen Horowitz |
| Google Deal | Aug 2024 | ~$2.7B | Google (acqui-hire) |
Investors
Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Nat Friedman, Elad Gil, SV Angel, A Capital
Technology
Proprietary Model
- Developed in-house until 2024
- Based on LaMDA-like architecture
- Trained for stylistic conversations (not factual accuracy)
- Strong content guardrails
Post-Google Deal
- Transition to refined open-source models
- Less proprietary LLM development
- Focus on product and experience
Safety and Controversies
Safety Measures (2024-2025)
| Measure | Description |
|---|---|
| NSFW Filters | Block sexual/violent content |
| Teen Model | More restrictive model for minors |
| Age Verification | Biometric/ID starting Nov 2025 |
| 2h/day Limit | For under-18 (Oct 2025) |
| No minor chat | From Nov 2025, minors only Feed/Imagine |
| Koko Partnership | Emotional support resources |
| ThroughLine | Helpline network |
Controversies
- 2024 Lawsuits: Families alleging harm to minors
- Getty Images: Murdered person bot removed
- Luigi Mangione: Bots removed after CEO murder
- Data Breach (Dec 2024): 10 min data exposure
- Texas AG: Investigation for deceptive marketing to minors
Use Cases
Entertainment
- Roleplay with fictional characters
- Interactive fanfiction
- Collaborative stories
Education
- Language practice
- Historical figure simulation
- Personalized tutoring
Productivity
- Idea brainstorming
- Creative writing
- Personalized assistants
Emotional Support
- AI companions
- Support conversations
- Social practice
Creative
- Character development
- Worldbuilding
- Dialogue writing
PROS ✅
- Complete Free Tier - Unlimited messages without paying
- 18M+ Characters - Massive library
- Exceptional Engagement - 2h/day average
- Active Community - 2.5M on Reddit
- Voice Calls - Talk with characters (c.ai+)
- Group Chats - Multiple characters together
- Easy Creation - No code required
- Diversity - Any imaginable character
- Memory - Remembers conversations
- Mobile First - 74-83% mobile traffic
- Not ChatGPT - Focus on personality, not facts
CONS ❌
- Founders Left - Google acqui-hire
- Safety Controversies - Lawsuits over minors
- No NSFW - Strict filters (frustrates some)
- Factual Accuracy - Not designed for facts
- Inconsistent Responses - May forget context
- No API - Not available for developers
- IP Issues - Celebrity/fiction character issues
- Open-Source Dependency - Post-deal less innovation
- Aggressive Moderation - Some content removed
- Less Innovation - Without technical founders
Why Choose Character.AI?
✅ Choose Character.AI if:
- You want roleplay with characters
- You seek conversational entertainment
- You need AI companion / emotional support
- You practice languages or social skills
- You're a writer needing dialogue
- You want to create your own character
- You prefer generous free tier
❌ Don't choose Character.AI if:
- You need factual information (→ ChatGPT)
- You want API for development
- You're looking for adult/NSFW content
- You need serious productive assistant
- Concerned about privacy with minors
vs Competitors
| vs | Character.AI Wins | Competitor Wins |
|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | Personalities, roleplay, free | Facts, productivity, API |
| Replika | More characters, free, variety | Emotional focus, 3D avatars |
| Chai AI | More mainstream, larger community | Less NSFW restrictions |
| NovelAI | More accessible, conversational | Better for long-form writing |
| Janitor AI | Safer, mainstream | No NSFW restrictions |
Company Information
- Founded: September 2022
- Headquarters: Palo Alto, California
- Founders: Noam Shazeer, Daniel De Freitas (now at Google)
- Current CEO: Dominic Perella (interim)
- Employees: ~165 (post-Google deal)
- Peak Valuation: $2.5B (before Google deal)
- Current Valuation: ~$1B
- Total Funding: $193M+
Founders (At Google DeepMind)
| Name | Previous Role | Current Role |
|---|---|---|
| Noam Shazeer | CEO, Co-founder | Google DeepMind (Gemini) |
| Daniel De Freitas | President, Co-founder | Google DeepMind |
Shazeer is co-author of "Attention is All You Need" (2017), the paper that created the Transformer architecture.
Recognition
- #2 AI Chatbot most popular (after ChatGPT)
- Subreddit #1388 by subscribers
- 3rd Discord largest (before decline)
- Time on Site highest than ChatGPT (17 min vs 7 min)
Future (2025+)
Announced Plans
- Multimodal expansion (video, audio, image)
- Official IP partnerships (character licenses)
- Possible enterprise licensing via Google
- Focus on safety and transparency
- Non-chat features for minors (Feed, Imagine, AvatarFX)
Risks
- Third-party model dependency
- Regulatory pressure for minor safety
- Growing competition in AI companions
- Without leading technical founders
Key Features
Custom AI character creation
Unlimited chat with characters
Library 18M+ community characters
Group Chats multiple characters
Character Calls voice calls
Contextual conversation memory
Scenes shareable scenes
Streams TikTok-style short videos
AvatarFX animated character videos
Social feed share chats
Imagine image generation
Fictional celebrity historical characters
NSFW safety filters
Teen Model for minors
Community 2.5M Reddit
Mobile first 74-83% traffic
c.ai+ premium priority speed
Early access new features
Interactive roleplay
Conversational language practice
Use Cases
Fictional character roleplay
Interactive fanfiction
Collaborative stories
Language practice conversation
Historical figure simulation
Personalized tutoring education
AI companion emotional support
Brainstorming ideas creativity
Creative writing dialogue
Character development worldbuilding
Conversational entertainment
Social skills practice
Personalized assistants
Interview simulation
Interactive learning
Informal conversational therapy
Gaming narrative roleplay
Fandoms communities
Social content creation
Immersive narrative experiences
Categories
Information
Company
Character Technologies, Inc.
Website
character.aiUser Reviews
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