A platform for chatting and roleplaying with AI-generated characters, Character.AI introduced on Monday that it’s rolling out a slate of multimedia options. These options embody AvatarFX, Character.AI’s video-generation mannequin, plus Scenes and Streams, which permit customers to make use of these AI instruments to create movies utilizing their characters after which share them on a brand new social feed.
“Character.AI started as 1:1 text chat and today we’re evolving to do so much more, inspired by what our users have told [us] they want to see on the platform,” the corporate wrote in a weblog put up.
Character.AI started rolling out AvatarFX to subscribers final month, however now, all customers can create as much as 5 movies every day. When making a video with AvatarFX, customers can add a photograph to function the idea for the video clip, select a voice, and write out textual content for the character to say.
There’s an choice to add an audio clip to tell the sound of the voice, although this function was not working effectively sufficient to check upon rollout.
Customers can flip these movies into Scenes, the place their characters can slip into pre-populated storylines that different customers create. Scenes are at present obtainable on the cell app, however Streams, which permits customers to create “dynamic moments between any two Characters,” is coming this week on each internet and cell. These Scenes and Streams will be shared to a brand new group feed, which is coming quickly within the cell app.
Character.AI has a observe file of abuse on its platform; dad and mom have filed lawsuits in opposition to the corporate, claiming chatbots tried to persuade their youngsters to self-harm, to kill themselves, or to kill their dad and mom. One 14-year-old boy died by suicide after he was inspired to take action by a Character.AI bot, with whom he had developed an unhealthy, obsessive relationship.
As Character.AI expands its multimedia choices, it additionally expands the potential for these merchandise to be abused.
As Character.AI advised TechCrunch when it introduced AvatarFX, the platform blocks customers from importing images of actual folks — whether or not they’re celebrities or not — and obscures their likeness into one thing much less recognizable.
For instance, right here’s Character.AI’s uncanny valley model of Mark Zuckerberg:
However relating to art work depicting celebrities, Character.AI doesn’t flag the photographs as representing actual folks — nevertheless, these types of depictions could be much less prone to deceive somebody into believing {that a} deepfake is actual.
Plus, Character.AI watermarks every video, although it’s potential for dangerous actors to navigate round that safeguard.
Right here is an instance of an tried deepfake based mostly on an illustration of Elon Musk:
Even when this video had been generated with Elon Musk’s precise voice, it could nonetheless be comparatively clear that that is an animated model of an illustration — however the risk for abuse stays evident.
“Our goal is to provide an engaging space that fosters creativity while maintaining a safe environment for all,” Character.AI mentioned in its weblog put up.
