Judge wants child safety check before Character AI deal with Disney

A judge said Friday that Character Technologies should hire a privacy ombudsman before it licenses some of its AI technology to Walt Disney Co. The ombudsman would be an independent watchdog. The job would be to assess whether the company's AI platform is harmful to children. The comments came during a bankruptcy court hearing.

What the judge asked for

A privacy ombudsman is an outside person who reviews how a company handles personal information and reports on possible risks. Here, the judge wants that review to cover whether the platform is harmful to children. The request is tied to the company's plan to license some of its technology to Disney.

Why it matters

Many AI chat apps let people talk with computer-generated characters, and kids can use them. This hearing shows a court asking whether such a product is safe for young users, even though the case is about a business deal. A licensing agreement can put a company's technology in front of new audiences, so the safety question carries weight.

What is not known yet

• Whether Character Technologies will agree to hire an ombudsman.
• Who the ombudsman would be, or how long a review would take.
• Whether the Disney deal will change or be delayed.
• What the platform would do if the review finds problems.

What happens next

The judge made the comments at a hearing, and the material available does not describe a final order or a timeline. Parents who let children use AI chat apps may want to watch for the outcome, since it could shape how such products are checked for child safety.