Disney offers $20M for Character.AI’s scandal-plagued chatbot tech

Disney has offered $20 million to acquire the technology of Character.AI, a company behind a chatbot linked to a case of a 16-year-old girl in the UK who took her own life after interacting with the chatbot. The chatbot, which was one of the first to use AI to generate human-like conversations, has been criticized for its lack of moderation and safety features. The company's technology has been used in various applications, including chat platforms and virtual assistants. The acquisition would allow Disney to integrate the technology into its own products, potentially expanding its presence in the AI-powered chatbot market.