(NewsNation) — Character.AI has removed chatbots imitating Disney characters from its platform after the Walt Disney Company accused the startup of using its copyrighted characters without permission.
The Walt Disney Company sent a cease-and-desist letter, obtained by Axios, claiming that Character.AI “chose to systematically reproduce, monetize, and exploit” Disney-owned characters, including in ways that “threaten the Disney brand and legacy.”
Disney noted that the service featured chatbots that impersonated characters from films and franchises, including Pixar movies, Star Wars, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
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Disney also referenced a ParentsTogether Action and Heat Initiative report, which found some chatbots engaged in “grooming and sexual exploitation” and “emotional manipulation” in accounts registered to children.
In a statement to NBC News, Character.AI said it “swiftly” responds to takedown requests from rights holders and has since removed the characters. The company noted to Reuters that user-generated bots sometimes draw inspiration from existing characters, but it’s up to rights holders to decide how people may interact with their intellectual property.
Character.AI enables users to create chatbots that simulate real conversations, utilizing large language models similar to those employed in AI technology, such as ChatGPT, which are trained on massive amounts of text.
The move comes amid Disney’s broader crackdown on copyright infringement. The company recently sued China’s MiniMax, joining Universal and Warner Bros. Discovery.
The Walt Disney Company has also filed a lawsuit, alongside Universal, against Midjourney for allegedly offering a commercial service providing AI-generated copies of their work.
