Character.AI申請自願Chapter 11破產程序，Disney提出$20 million競投部分知識產權授權
Chatbot startup Character.AI files for bankruptcy, and Disney is first in line for key assets
Character.AI在特拉華州啟動自願Chapter 11程序，尋求法院監督出售全部或絕大部分資產，並預計於11月下旬或12月初完成。Disney Worldwide Services同意成為首輪競標者，提出$20 million競投Character.AI部分知識產權及申索的非專屬永久授權，其他買家仍可提出更高報價。
這宗破產案把Character.AI平台存續與法院監督出售結果連在一起；Disney提出的$20 million是首輪競標，其他買家仍可競價。
Character.AI, the chatbot startup founded by former Google researchers, has filed for bankruptcy.
The California-based company said it had initiated a voluntary Chapter 11 process in Delaware to pursue a court-supervised sale of all or substantially all of its assets.
Character.AI, which lets users create personalized AI bots, said its platform would remain online during the sale process, which it expects to finish by late November or early December.
The company has agreed to let Disney Worldwide Services, an affiliate of the Walt Disney Company, act as the opening bidder for a non-exclusive, perpetual license to certain Character.AI intellectual property and claims.
Disney said it would pay $20 million and provide transition services using former Character.AI employees it has hired. Other potential buyers can still make higher bids under the bankruptcy process. Last month, Disney hired former Character.AI CEO Karandeep Anand as its CTO.
Character.AI's CEO Colin Adams said in a Monday statement that it had taken steps to "sustain and improve" its business amid "significant legal, regulatory, and operational headwinds."
"After a comprehensive review of our available alternatives, our board determined that this court-supervised sale process provides us with the best opportunity to maximize value for all of our stakeholders," the company said in a blog post on Monday.
The startup said paid subscriptions remain active and billing is unchanged for now. But it warned that if the sale does not produce a bid sufficient to keep the platform running, it will wind down the service.
Character.AI hit with lawsuits
Character.AI did not spell out the legal, regulatory, and operational pressures that led to the filing. But the company has faced growing scrutiny over the potential effect of its AI companions on young users.
It announced last year that it would ban under-18s from having open-ended conversations with its chatbots, following concerns about AI's impact on children and teenagers.
Prior to that, Character.AI had faced lawsuits from families who alleged its chatbots contributed to teenagers' mental-health crises. Earlier this year, Character.AI and Google agreed in principle to settle several of those cases, including claims brought by families of teenagers who died by suicide or experienced self-harm after using the chatbots.
One Texas lawsuit alleged that a Character.AI chatbot encouraged a teenager to kill his parents over limits on his screen time. That case was among those the companies agreed in principle to settle. The terms were not disclosed.
The startup was founded in 2021 by former Google researchers Noam Shazeer and Daniel De Freitas. Google rehired the pair in 2024 and paid for non-exclusive rights to use Character.AI's technology, while the startup continued as a separate company.
Character.AI said its privacy and security practices remain unchanged during the bankruptcy process.
It said users can continue to access its services and export their data or delete their accounts through its app or website.
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Thibault is a tech reporter at Business Insider's London office.He covers the intersection of technology and work — focusing on AI’s impact on the workplace, job and cognitive skills, and how economic changes are affecting careers.Before moving to the trending team, Thibault covered international affairs, including the Russia-Ukraine war, tensions in the South China Sea, and Russia’s economy on the news desk.He has previously worked at the Daily Express and held internships at Agence France-Presse, Politico Europe, and Factal.Il parle français. Habla español.Email Thibault at tspirlet@businessinsider.com, connect with him on LinkedIn @ThibaultSpirlet, or follow him on X @ThibaultSpirlet and BlueSky @thibaultspirlet.bsky.social.Expertise
- AI and the future of work
- Job and cognitive skills in the AI economy
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- First-person, "as-told-to" stories
來源：Business Insider Tech · businessinsider.com