Character.AI names Karandeep Anand as new CEO amid safety and growth challenges.
Anand, ex-Meta VP of Business Products and former Microsoft product lead, takes the helm as the AI chatbot startup navigates user growth and a high-profile child safety lawsuit. The Florida case alleges one of Character.AI’s chatbots contributed to a teenager’s death.
Anand had been a board adviser before stepping up as CEO. He previously headed product at fintech startup Brex and managed massive advertising products reaching billions on Meta’s apps. 
The leadership shift comes less than a year after Google poached Character.AI co-founder and CEO Noam Shazeer. Google now holds a non-exclusive license to use Character.AI’s technology, sparking a federal antitrust probe into their relationship.
Character.AI has raised over $150 million, mainly from Andreessen Horowitz.
Anand flagged safety filters as a top issue, aiming to dial them down while maintaining protection.
“The app filters things that are perfectly harmless,” Anand wrote in a blog post.
He promised better AI model quality, memory improvements, and more transparency—all hitting in the next 60 days.
Chatbots built for entertainment, Character.AI’s focus, are booming. In 2024, 66% of its users were 18–24 years old, 72% women, per Sensor Tower data.
Image Credits: Character.AI
