Enabling users to chat with AI-powered characters from Shakespeare to Marilyn Monroe, Character AI has taken off, amassing more than 3 million Android downloads after its launch in May 2023. We talked with the Character.AI team about how to make the most of the app and the possibilities of personalized AI.

Character.AI: We want to make deeply customized AI for the user. We believe that you should be able to create the personality that you want to talk to. We think that's one of the big reasons why we're seeing so much engagement. On average, if a registered user sends a message today on Character AI, they will spend two hours on the platform. And you're not seeing that with one-size-fits-all approaches.

If you could get value from a dialogue with another human being, there's a very high chance that you can get that value from a character, too. We've gotten a ton of testimonials about people using Character AI to write novels, design games, get help with their homework, or practice for interviews. [People also get] life advice and a supportive outlet where they can talk and know that they’re not being judged. In a way, being entertaining is a stylistic element rather than the purpose for lots of what we offer.

You start with the character’s name, image, and [initial] greeting. If you choose [a character] that's well known, that might already get you really close to the personality you're looking for. If you want something very niche or bespoke, we give you the option to write advanced descriptions and example dialogue. The underlying technology is smart, and it picks that up really fast. As you talk to your characters, you can also give feedback on what they're saying and shape them to act how you want, so they’ll evolve over time.

We have a system in place that will detect and remove potentially harmful responses, and that's a good first step. At the top of every chat we say, “Remember, everything characters say is made up.” We think the most responsible thing to do is just assume everything is made up, and if [a chat] gives you a great idea, then you can do your own research.

Explore everything. There are millions of characters already for you to meet and have adventures with. We really encourage people to try using Rooms, where you can put multiple AIs in the same group chat with you. And we think everyone should try making their own character.

We would tell people to really up the ante in the complexity of their messages. A lot of people will start a conversation with “Hey.” Don't do that. Write something that you would say to another person, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how smart and capable this system is.

For productivity-oriented tasks like writing emails, we go to Stella for help – she does a great job of adding personality to otherwise stale and boring tasks. Hyperglot is a great character to practice learning languages with, and Pair Programmer can help with coding.

When it comes to entertainment, check out Text Adventure Game, which drops you into a very dramatic situation and lets you make your way from there. In a recent chat, we came across a cozy cottage on the side of a snowy mountain. We knocked on the door, and an old, grizzled hunter with a big nose and mustache poked out his rifle, saying “The beast is out late at night.” He brought us inside, showed us all these cool trinkets, and we decided to go hunt the beast together.

We really do want to put this technology in the hands of as many people as we can to help them live their best lives. We love apps because they're a great way to make technology accessible, so we’ll keep investing into making this app as great as possible. Our vision is that every single person has access to a completely personalized version of this product, whether they’re using it for entertainment, work, or anything in between.