Character.AI says you own the AI-generated responses and content from your conversations, but gives itself a permanent, irrevocable license to use those AI outputs commercially, promote the service with them, and share them with others.
This analysis describes what Character.AI's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology
Your conversations with AI characters, including what the AI says to you, fall under a perpetual commercial license that Character.AI can use to promote the service or share with third parties, even though the agreement states you own this content.
Interpretive note: The legal status of user ownership of AI-generated content is unsettled under U.S. copyright law and varies internationally, which affects the practical meaning of both the ownership assertion and the license grant.
New provision explicitly clarifies user ownership of AI-generated outputs while still granting Character.AI a perpetual sublicensable license, addressing a gap between user-submitted and AI-generated content rights.
View full change record →Conversations you have with AI characters on the platform may be used to promote Character.AI off-platform or shared with third parties under a permanent license, meaning private-seeming interactions could appear in marketing or be disclosed to partners.
How other platforms handle this
we may closely review accounts that offer the following services, products, or content: Online trading, day trading tips, and stock market related content
Paid Subscribers can select whether Content is public or private.
If Your Content is prohibited under the laws of any jurisdiction where our Services are available, we may remove it even if it is not illegal in your location.
"When you generate content of any kind using the Services – for example, Character responses from your own Character or other Characters, other dialogue, images, or videos (collectively "Generated Content") – then as between you and Character.AI, you own that Generated Content. In both cases, you grant Character.AI, to the fullest extent permitted under the law, a nonexclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, fully paid up, transferable, sublicensable, perpetual, irrevocable license to copy, display, upload, perform, distribute, transmit, make available, store, access, modify, exploit, commercialize and otherwise use the Character and all Generated Content for any purpose in any form, medium or technology now known or later developed, including but not limited to (i) facilitating other users' ability to interact with the Character and elicit Generated Content; (ii) promoting the Services on- or off-service; and (iii) taking all of the actions set forth above under the section entitled "Content You Submit."Excerpt from Character.AI's Terms of Service
REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: The assertion that users own AI-generated content is legally contested across jurisdictions, and the simultaneous grant of a perpetual commercial license to that content creates a complex rights structure.
Enforcement risk, jurisdiction flags, contract triggers, and due diligence action items.
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Your conversations with AI characters, including what the AI says to you, fall under a perpetual commercial license that Character.AI can use to promote the service or share with third parties, even though the agreement states you own this content.
Conversations you have with AI characters on the platform may be used to promote Character.AI off-platform or shared with third parties under a permanent license, meaning private-seeming interactions could appear in marketing or be disclosed to partners.
ConductAtlas has identified this type of provision across 263 platforms. See the full comparison.
No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Character.AI.