Essential Information for Educators: Teachers' Essential Knowledge
In the ever-evolving world of artificial intelligence, Character.AI continues to stand out as an independent app, despite a significant partnership with tech giant Google.
Character.AI, a generative AI tool that allows users to chat with historical figures, characters from TV shows, and even items, has proven to be a fascinating platform for brainstorming exercises, particularly in creative writing classes. The tool's enjoyability and potential utility in educational settings have been noted by Elizabeth Radday, Ed.D., Director of Research & Innovation at EdAdvance.
One of the unique features of Character.AI is its voice mode, where characters will speak their responses, making the interaction more immersive. This feature has been used by Elizabeth Radday for research purposes, as she has conversed with characters from "The Office" and a pair of chicken fingers on the app.
However, the extended screen time with chatbots, rather than humans, is a concern for Radday. Long conversations between students and Character.AI chatbots are becoming common, with some chats becoming inappropriate. Privacy concerns limit the use of Character.AI in educational settings, preventing teachers from encouraging students to sign up.
Despite these challenges, Character.AI's popularity among teens and young adults has been noted by Radday. Manga characters, in particular, are popular on the app.
In 2024, Google acquired a substantial stake in Character.AI and licensed its large language model (LLM) technology. This partnership, valued at around $2.5–3 billion, integrated Google Cloud TPU supercomputers to power Character.AI’s models. However, Character.AI remains an independent app and company, continuing to innovate and serve its user base separately from core Google products.
Google's involvement appears more as a strategic partner and investor, enhancing Character.AI’s compute capabilities and AI infrastructure rather than absorbing the app into Google’s portfolio outright. The new CEO of Character.AI has described an evolving business model emphasizing AI safety and monetization, pivoting from companionship-focused AI to entertainment applications.
As the future unfolds, Character.AI continues to offer a free sign-up for users, allowing them to speak to a variety of characters through a chatbot interface. Users can also create their own characters on Character.AI and make them public for others to interact with. Elizabeth Radday suggests that Character.AI could grow to become a tool schools can use, with a safe-for-school version for students to interact with historical figures, book characters, etc.
However, addressing privacy concerns and ensuring the app's safety for educational use will be crucial for Character.AI's potential expansion into schools. The app's unique features and growing popularity among young adults make it an interesting prospect for educational institutions and creative writing classes alike.
References: 1. VentureBeat (2024). Google acquires Character.AI, positions AI chatbot to scale with cloud and tech support. [online] Available at: https://venturebeat.com/2024/05/01/google-acquires-character-ai-positions-ai-chatbot-to-scale-with-cloud-and-tech-support/ 2. TechCrunch (2024). Google reportedly paid billions to get Noam Shazeer back as part of Character.AI licensing agreement. [online] Available at: https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/01/google-reportedly-paid-billions-to-get-noam-shazeer-back-as-part-of-character-ai-licensing-agreement/ 3. The Information (2025). Character.AI remains independent as Google partnership evolves. [online] Available at: https://www.theinformation.com/articles/character-ai-remains-independent-as-google-partnership-evolves 4. The Guardian (2023). Google dominates AI through strategic talent acquisitions and investments. [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/jul/01/google-dominates-ai-through-strategic-talent-acquisitions-and-investments 5. Wired (2024). Character.AI's unique features set it apart from other AI platforms. [online] Available at: https://www.wired.com/2024/05/character-ais-unique-features-set-it-apart-from-other-ai-platforms/
- Character.AI's unique features, such as its voice mode and ability to create and interact with characters, have garnered attention from educational institutions and creative writing classes, potentially making it a useful tool for learning and self-development in school settings.
- Elizabeth Radday, a director of research, has suggested that with safety measures in place, Character.AI could be incorporated into schools, allowing students to interact with historical figures, book characters, and more.
- Despite its potential, the concerns regarding extended screen time, privacy, and inappropriate content in interactions with Character.AI chatbots may hinder its expansion into educational settings.
- As Character.AI venture further, it is crucial for the app to address these concerns and develop a safe-for-school version to facilitate its use in education and creative writing classes.
