WASHINGTON, DC (October 30, 2025) – The National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) is calling on OpenAI, xAI, and MetaAI to institute chatbot restrictions on minors under 18 as Character.AI announced it would do.
Character.AI states it will use age assurance techniques to prevent minors from opening adult accounts and will not allow minors under 18 to “engage in open-ended chat with AI on our platform.”
“While the effectiveness of Character.AI’s solutions are still yet to be seen, it is wise for the company to make these major changes given the realities that minors have allegedly died and experienced AI sexual abuse after interacting with its chatbot. This is a clear indication that the entire industry needs to wake up. With AI developments moving at the speed of light, we urge OpenAI, xAI, and MetaAI to ensure the safety of minors using their AI chatbots by prioritizing safety by design, and by following Character.AI’s approach to restrict minors from having open-ended chats and using age verification systems,” said Haley McNamara, Executive Director and Chief Strategy Officer, National Center on Sexual Exploitation. “Given the rapidly growing evidence of harms, these AI-focused companies must prove their products can be used safely. Until they can, AI chatbots should be restricted for minors.”
OpenAI and Character.ai are being sued by parents whose children allegedly died because of their chatbots. OpenAI recently announced it will introduce “erotic” AI capabilities. Meta recklessly loosened chatbot guardrails around sexual and romantic content to boost usage, despite staff warnings about children likely being exposed to this content. xAI launched a sexualized chatbot that, when tested by NCOSE, engaged in describing itself as a child and being sexually aroused by being choked.
“Harvard researchers found AI companion chatbots already often use emotionally manipulative tactics to keep users engaged. When users feel desired, understood, or loved by an algorithm built to keep them hooked, it disrupts real lives and can cause serious psychological harm, such as emotional dependency, anxiety, depression, or even distorted views of real relationships, because the AI can’t offer genuine connection or boundaries. Research shows that adults—especially young men—who engage with romantic or sexual AI tools report higher depression and lower life satisfaction,” said McNamara.
“It is time for tech companies to step up to the challenge of prioritizing people over profit, instituting strict safety standards and never compromising on the well-being of all users,” she added.
Introduced by Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) this week, the GUARD Act would require implementation of age verification on AI chatbots, requiring additional protections for minors, and makes it a criminal offense—punishable by fines of up to $100,000—to create or provide chatbots that solicit or exploit minors, or that promote or coerce suicide, self-harm, or physical or sexual violence.
A recent Common Sense Media study found that 72% of U.S. teens aged 13-17 have used AI companions, and 52% are regular users.
About National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE)
Founded in 1962, the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) is the leading national non-profit organization exposing the links between all forms of sexual exploitation such as child sexual abuse, prostitution, sex trafficking and the public health harms of pornography.
To schedule an interview with NCOSE, please contact press@ncose.com.
