Character.AI
Enables users to create and engage with personalized AI characters for entertainment, learning, and creative exploration through advanced language models.
Last updated May 11, 2026 by the ATDb Editorial Team
- Industry
- Conversational AI / Consumer Technology
- Business Model
- Freemium SaaS
- Target Market
- Consumer
- Employee Count
- 51-200
- Funding
- $193M
- API Available
- Limited
Leading consumer-focused AI chatbot platform with millions of active users
Character.AI is an artificial intelligence company that provides a platform for creating and conversing with AI-powered characters. Founded by former Google AI researchers Noam Shazeer and Daniel De Freitas, the platform allows users to interact with chatbots that can take on various personalities, from historical figures to fictional characters to custom-created personas. The service uses large language models to enable natural, contextual conversations. In October 2024, Google acquired Character.AI's technology and team in a licensing deal valued at approximately $2.7 billion, with founders Shazeer and De Freitas returning to Google. Character.AI continues to operate as a subsidiary, maintaining its consumer-facing platform while Google gains access to its underlying AI technology and talent. The company serves millions of users who engage with AI characters for entertainment, education, creative writing, language practice, and companionship, representing a significant player in the consumer AI application space rather than traditional advertising technology.
Character.AI Platform
Web and mobile platform for creating and chatting with AI-powered characters across various personalities and use cases
Character Creator
Tools allowing users to design custom AI characters with specific personalities, knowledge bases, and conversation styles
Character.AI+
Premium subscription service offering priority access, faster response times, and enhanced features