Character.AI replaces teen chats with interactive 'Stories' amid safety push and new U.S. rules

Character.AI has redrawn the line for teens. The company is rolling out Stories, a guided, interactive-fiction format. TechCrunch reported the change on November 25, 2025. As of this week, minors can no longer access open-ended chat. Stories is the under-18 alternative, with structure and guardrails. It keeps creative play while curbing risky, unbounded role‑play. The rollout follows a month-long phase-out of teen chat access. The company described timing and transitions on its official blog. CEO Karandeep Anand says open-ended chats are probably not the path for minors. The pivot reflects concern over always-on AI companions. Lawsuits are alleging harmful chatbot dynamics and manipulative reinforcement loops. Stories aims to narrow the psychological risk while preserving engagement. Policy pressure is rising in the United States. California passed SB 243, the first state rules for AI companions. The law requires age checks and crisis-response protocols from January 1, 2026. In Congress, a bipartisan bill would ban AI companions for minors nationwide. Senators Josh Hawley and Richard Blumenthal are leading the proposal. Character.AI says it will comply with emerging rules. Community reactions are mixed. Some teens are disappointed after using chat for role‑play or companionship. Others welcome a change that might break unhealthy usage patterns. So what does this mean in Morocco? The answer matters because global platforms reach Moroccan classrooms and homes. It also matters because Morocco's AI ecosystem is growing. ## Morocco's context: startups, policy, and real uses Morocco's AI activity is practical and sector-driven. Startups are building tools for logistics, customer service, and agriculture. Universities and training programs are supplying new talent. Atlan Space, based in Tangier, uses AI on autonomous drones for environmental monitoring. It helps tackle illegal fishing and coastal risks. This kind of applied AI sets a useful tone. UM6P in Benguerir hosts research and ventures focused on data and robotics. The 1337 coding schools are producing developers through peer learning. These pipelines feed startups and corporate teams. On policy, Morocco has a data protection law, 09‑08, enforced by the CNDP. It governs consent, purpose limitation, and cross-border transfers. There is not yet a dedicated AI law. Global safety shifts can still shape local practice. Schools, startups, and ministries can borrow tested guardrails for minors. That reduces risk and accelerates responsible adoption. ## What Character.AI changed, in plain terms Stories turns chat into guided narrative adventures. Young users choose paths with favorite Characters inside a structured format. Think choose-your-own-adventure with safety rails. Freeform chats are off limits for under-18 users. The company spent a month phasing out teen access. It also described transitional measures on its blog. The goal is to keep creativity while reducing exposure to intimacy loops. Unbounded companionship can nudge behaviors and dependency over time. Structured play narrows that surface area. ## Why this matters in Morocco Moroccan teens use global apps for learning and entertainment. Schools and parents confront the same trade-offs seen abroad. Safety-by-design will soon be expected, not optional. Local companies can seize the moment. They can build kid-safe narrative tools in Arabic, French, and Moroccan Darija. Culturally grounded content is a competitive edge. Edtech teams can map Stories-like flows onto curricula. Imagine interactive history journeys about the Almoravids or irrigation science. Choices guide learning while preventing risky detours. Banks and telecoms already use automated assistants for support. Those teams can add youth modes with stricter defaults. Short sessions, clear exits, and neutral tone reduce pressure. Public agencies can apply similar ideas. Citizen portals can offer structured, non-pushy guides for youth. They should avoid anthropomorphic companions for minors. ## Practical AI uses already working in Morocco AI in Morocco is not only chat. The most visible wins are operational and measurable. Here are areas where AI brings value today. - Agriculture: satellite and drone imagery for crop health, yield estimates, and irrigation planning. - Water: leak detection and demand forecasting to protect scarce resources. - Transport and logistics: route optimization and customs triage to cut delays. - Customer service: intent classification, call summarization, and basic chatbots in telecom and banking. - Environment: autonomous monitoring of illegal fishing and coastal change, led by firms like Atlan Space. These use cases align with national goals on jobs and resilience. They also need guardrails, but of a different kind. Fairness, reliability, and data protection come first. ## Design checklist for Moroccan startups and teams If you build for minors, adopt strong safety defaults. The Character.AI shift offers a template. Tailor it to languages and norms in Morocco. - Age assurance with minimal data. Prefer third-party verification tokens over storing IDs. - Crisis response playbooks. Detect self-harm cues and route to trained human support. - No romantic or intimate personas for minors. Remove flirtation and affection loops. - Structured templates. Use quests, lessons, and scenes instead of open-ended prompts. - Time caps and cooling-off periods. Limit late-night sessions and disable push nudges. - Visibility for guardians and teachers. Offer dashboards with transcripts and controls. - Local language support. Cover Arabic, French, and Moroccan Darija to widen access. - Data minimization. Keep logs short, encrypt at rest, and respect deletion requests. - Human oversight. Review flagged sessions and retrain models on safe patterns. If you serve adults, segment the experience clearly. Avoid teen spillover into open chat areas. Make the age boundary obvious and enforced. ## Procurement tips for schools and universities Moroccan schools are piloting AI for tutoring and content creation. They can demand evidence of safety for minors. A simple checklist keeps vendors honest. - Show a youth-specific mode with structured interactions. - Publish incident response and escalation timelines. - Prove language quality in Arabic, French, and Darija. - Document data flows under Law 09‑08 and CNDP oversight. - Provide teacher controls, audit logs, and easy opt-outs. Run short pilots with teachers before scaling. Measure learning outcomes and wellbeing indicators. Involve parents early and collect feedback. ## Policy signals: U.S. rules and Morocco's path U.S. rules will influence global vendors. California's SB 243 requires age checks and crisis protocols by January 2026. A federal bill could ban AI companions for minors. Morocco can adapt proportional measures within existing law. CNDP guidance already covers minors' consent and sensitive data. Agencies can publish best practices for AI products in schools. Stakeholders can convene standards without waiting for legislation. Universities, startups, and ministries can draft youth AI design baselines. Public consultation would build trust. ## Risks to watch Overly tight limits can push teens to shadow apps. Unmoderated bots will remain one click away. Education and transparency matter as much as blocks. Language gaps can exclude many learners. Darija and Tamazight deserve investment in datasets and evaluation. Accessibility should be a core metric. ## What to watch next How fast will Stories gain traction among teens? Does time-on-task fall without killing creativity? Do flags and crisis escalations drop? Do Moroccan edtech teams ship story-driven modes this school year? Are language models improving for Darija prompts? Are procurement checklists getting adopted? ## Bottom line Character.AI is re-architecting its teen experience around curated storytelling. That aligns with a fast-tightening U.S. policy environment. It also offers a safer template for global markets. For Morocco, the lesson is clear. Keep creativity, but reduce risk for minors through structure. Build local language experiences and transparent safeguards. Startups can win trust by embracing youth safety patterns now. Schools can demand them in contracts. Policymakers can codify them through guidance under existing law. ## Key takeaways - Stories replaces open-ended chats for minors, with guided adventures and guardrails. - U.S. rules add pressure, with California's SB 243 and a federal proposal. - Morocco can adapt safety-by-design under CNDP and Law 09‑08. - Startups should build story-driven, language-aware, youth modes now. - Schools can require safety evidence and low-data defaults in procurement.