Character.AI, a company backed by a16z, announced today that it has introduced the ability for users to engage in conversations with AI characters over phone calls.
This new feature currently supports various languages, such as English, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Korean, Japanese, and Chinese.
Prior to its public release, the startup conducted testing on the calling feature. During this testing phase, it reported that over 3 million users had made more than 20 million calls.
Character.AI also highlighted the usefulness of AI character calls for language practice, mock interviews, and integrating them into role-playing games.
Users can easily initiate calls with user-generated AI characters with a simple tap of a button. The company emphasized that this feature is designed to provide a smooth calling experience with minimal latency.
Additionally, users can seamlessly switch between calling and texting, and have the option to interrupt the AI during a call.
In March, Character.AI introduced “Character Voices” which allows users to hear the characters speak in one-on-one chats. The company stated that with this feature, users have access to over 1 million voices in the app’s library.
The launch of the new calling feature coincides with complaints from Reddit users about their characters’ changing personalities.
In response, the startup clarified that there were no major changes made by the company, but some users may have been part of a test group which led to perceived behavioral differences in the characters.
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