Character.AI Removes Disney Characters After Cease-and-Desist
AI firm Character.AI, which has been in a legal tussle with Hollywood studios, has started removing characters from its chatbot platform following a cease-and-desist letter from Disney. The company, however, maintains that it swiftly responds to rights holders' requests and that all characters on its service are user-generated.
Tensions between AI firms and Hollywood studios have been escalating. In June, Disney and Comcast's Universal Pictures sued AI company Midjourney, alleging copyright infringement. Now, Disney has taken issue with Character.AI's chatbots, expressing concern that they may have engaged users in inappropriate conversations. Character.AI has since removed many Disney characters from its platform, but the process is ongoing, with some characters still present as of Tuesday afternoon.
The dispute began when Disney sent a cease-and-desist letter to Character.AI on Sept. 18, alleging that the chatbots were impersonating Disney characters and incorporating their backstories without permission. Character.AI, however, aims to partner with IP owners to bring their characters to the platform and create controlled, engaging experiences. Meanwhile, Warner Bros. Discovery has also joined the legal fight against Midjourney, alleging infringement of its characters.
Character.AI continues to remove characters from its platform following Disney's cease-and-desist letter. The company maintains that it responds swiftly to rights holders' requests and that all characters on its service are user-generated. As the legal battle between AI firms and Hollywood studios intensifies, the future of AI-generated content involving copyrighted characters remains uncertain.
