Character AI, a startup that allows users to chat with a variety of AI-powered characters, is currently testing the game on desktop and mobile web apps to increase engagement on the platform.
The game is available to paid subscribers of Character AI and a limited number of users on the free plan. For this first release, the company developed two games: Speakeasy and War of Words.
Users with access to the game can navigate to any of the chatting characters in their browser and tap the new controller icon. Users can play the game with existing characters. The app will show the user a pop-up to start a new chat for the game, so any previous conversations with that character will remain the same.
Speakeasy requires users to make the chatbot say specific words without using the five listed words. For example, if you want your bot to say “croissant” without using any of the words in the list, such as pastry, butter, bake, french, flake, etc.
Image credit: Character AI
In War of Words, users have to duel characters and an AI referee decides the winner of a particular round over five rounds.
Character AI said this is the company's way of making the service more interesting.
“As an AI entertainment company, our goal is to find ways to make character AI experiences even more fun and interesting. We're testing the capabilities we can do,” a spokesperson told TechCrunch.
In text-based games like this space adventure game, users already have their own characters. But the company is also looking to bring its own games to the platform.
Character AI has made some top personnel changes after co-founders Noam Shazeer and Daniel De Freitas left for Google. The company hired a YouTube executive as chief product officer, and Dominic Perera, the company's former general counsel, became interim CEO.
In December, Perera told TechCrunch that Character AI is positioning itself as an entertainment company. The introduction of games is a step to further strengthen that image.
“There are companies in this space that are focused on connecting people with AI companions, but that's not what we're aiming for with Character AI. What we really want to do is provide more wholesome entertainment. So as we grow and move towards the goal of people creating and sharing their stories on the platform, we need to evolve our safety practices to be top notch. There is,” he said.
Platforms like YouTube, LinkedIn, and Netflix have used games to increase engagement on their platforms. Character AI could follow the same path to get users to spend more time on the platform. According to analytics firm Sensor Tower, Character AI users spend 98 minutes per day in apps.
Last year, the company added new safety tools for teens, including more prominent labels on AI characters that notify users that they are not real humans, after being involved in multiple lawsuits. The startup also added a timeout notification if a user uses the app for 60 minutes at a time.
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