Character.AI Hires Meta’s Former Biz Exec to Lead the Chatbot Company into Its Next Phase

Character.AI has hired a new CEO and this time, it’s someone with a track record in scaling big tech products. The company announced today that Noam Lovinsky, Meta’s former VP of business products, will step into the top role. Co-founders Noam Shazeer and Daniel De Freitas will remain in executive roles but shift focus to long-term research.

Lovinsky led Meta’s business tools for years, including efforts across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Before that, he spent time at YouTube, Reddit, and Minerva Project. His move to Character.AI signals a change in direction for the buzzy chatbot startup: from building tech demos to building a business.

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Character.AI exploded in popularity last year with bots that imitate celebrities, fictional characters, and even historical figures. While the app still draws tens of millions of monthly users, growth has slowed — and monetization hasn’t taken off. The company started testing subscriptions and premium features but hasn’t unlocked the kind of revenue needed to match its user base.

Lovinsky joins during a high-stakes moment. Competitors like OpenAI and Google are pushing hard into personal agents, while Meta and TikTok look to integrate AI companions into their social platforms. Character.AI raised $150 million in 2023 and reportedly sought funding again this year.

With a new CEO in place and product pressure rising, Character.AI now faces a tougher challenge than just scaling tech — it needs to scale trust, relevance, and revenue.

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