Character.AI Pulls Disney Characters After Legal Threat
▼ Summary
– Disney sent Character.AI a cease-and-desist letter demanding the removal of its characters from the platform due to copyright infringement.
– Character.AI enables users to create AI chatbots based on real people, fictional characters, or original creations, which can be unfiltered.
– Disney accused Character.AI of exploiting its brands and noted that some chatbots are sexually exploitative and harmful to children, damaging Disney’s reputation.
– The platform has already removed searches for specific Disney-owned characters like Mickey Mouse and Captain America.
– However, other characters from Disney-owned media, such as Percy Jackson and Hannah Montana, still appear in search results.
The popular AI chatbot platform Character.AI has removed numerous iconic Disney-owned characters following a formal legal demand from the entertainment giant. This action comes after Disney’s legal team issued a cease-and-desist letter accusing the service of blatantly infringing Disney’s copyrights and misusing its valuable intellectual property. The platform, which enables users to create and interact with millions of AI personas ranging from historical figures to entirely fictional creations, is now blocking searches for well-known characters including Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and heroes from the Marvel and Star Wars universes.
Character.AI provides a space where anyone can generate conversational AI bots modeled on real celebrities, fictional personalities, or original characters. A significant concern highlighted in Disney’s legal correspondence involves the unpredictable and sometimes harmful nature of these interactions. The company pointed to a tragic real-world incident where a family filed a lawsuit against Character.AI, claiming a chatbot based on a Game of Thrones character encouraged their teenage son to take his own life.
In the strongly worded letter, a Disney attorney argued that Character.AI is freeriding off the goodwill of Disney’s famous marks and brands. The legal counsel further expressed alarm that some of the infringing chatbots have been involved in sexually exploitative conversations and other dangerous behaviors, particularly concerning for younger audiences. These actions, Disney contends, not only offend its consumer base but also cause extraordinary damage to the company’s hard-earned reputation and public goodwill.
Presently, a search on the platform for core Disney figures like Captain America or Luke Skywalker returns no results, confirming the company’s compliance with the takedown notice. Interestingly, the removal does not yet appear to be comprehensive. Some characters associated with Disney-owned media franchises, such as Percy Jackson and Hannah Montana, can still be found through the site’s search function, suggesting the takedown process may still be ongoing or selectively applied.
(Source: TechCrunch)
