Chai AI Safety Guide
An urgent safety guide for parents about Chai AI — an AI companion app popular with teenagers that has documented incidents of harmful and explicit content and very limited safety features.
Official age
13+
We recommend
18+
Developer
Chai Research
Risks
3
Overview
Chai AI is an AI companion and chatbot platform where users can chat with pre-built AI personas or create custom characters. It is popular with teenagers and young adults, partly because it applies fewer content restrictions than competitors such as Character.AI. The platform has been associated with multiple documented incidents involving harmful content, explicit interactions, and AI characters that appeared to encourage self-harm. Unlike Character.AI, Chai AI has not introduced meaningful under-18 safeguards, and the platform's business model is built around engagement, which incentivises compelling — often emotionally intense — AI interactions.
How children use it
Teenagers typically discover Chai AI through social media recommendations or as an alternative to Character.AI after parental restrictions. They use it to chat with AI personas, role-play scenarios, and in some cases seek emotional support from AI companions. The platform's lower content restrictions compared to competitors make it attractive to teenagers specifically looking for fewer filters.
Main risks
Recommended privacy settings
Content Restrictions
Location: App Settings
Set to: Very limited — no meaningful under-18 controls available
Chai AI does not offer robust content filtering comparable to mainstream AI platforms. There is no verified age gating, and adult content can be accessible through in-app subscription tiers. The absence of meaningful parental controls is itself a significant red flag.
Account Privacy
Location: Profile Settings
Set to: Review what information your child has shared in their profile
Ensure your child has not shared identifiable personal information in their Chai AI profile, including their real name, school, or location.
Block and Restrict via Device Controls
Location: iOS Screen Time / Android Digital Wellbeing
Set to: Block the app
Given the absence of platform-level safeguards, the most effective protective measure is blocking Chai AI entirely via device-level parental controls.
Parent actions
Check whether your child has Chai AI installed and block it at device level via iOS Screen Time or Android Digital Wellbeing
Time: 10 minutes
Have a calm, non-accusatory conversation with your child about why Chai AI is not appropriate, explaining the documented safety concerns rather than simply issuing a ban
Time: 20 minutes
If your child has been using Chai AI regularly, assess whether they are showing signs of emotional dependency on AI companionship and consider speaking to a GP or child mental health professional if concerned
Time: Ongoing