Character.AI announced today that it now allows users to talk to AI characters over the phone. The feature currently supports multiple languages, including English, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Korean, Japanese, and Chinese. The startup is testing the calling feature ahead of its public launch today. During this period, more than 3 million users reportedly made more than 20 million calls. The company also notes that calls with AI characters can be useful for practicing language skills, conducting mock interviews or adding to a role-playing game.

Users simply click a button to initiate a call directly using a user-generated AI character. Character.AI said that this feature is built to make the calling experience smooth with reduced latency.

You can switch between calling and texting seamlessly, as well as stop the AI from talking through a “Tap to interrupt” option. In early March, Character.AI introduced character voices, allowing users to hear characters speak in one-on-one chats. With a feature that lets users create their own sounds, the app has a library of more than 1 million sounds, the company said. As the company rolls out its new calling feature, users on Reddit are complaining about their characters' changing personalities. In response to the complaints, the startup told 404 Media that it hasn't made any major changes, but some users may have participated in the beta and noticed differences in character behavior as a result. Earlier this week, The Information reported that Google is working on its own custom chatbot platform to take Meta and Character.AI into account