Hasbro Is Developing a Platform That Turns Characters Into Voice AI Assistants

Hasbro’s artificial intelligence division, Sixth Wall, is developing the Character.OS platform to turn popular characters into talking digital assistants. The project will bring the voices and speaking styles of characters such as Optimus Prime, Megatron, Mr. Monopoly, and Cobra Commander to various services. Initially, the focus is solely on voice interaction.

In one internal test, a Peppa Pig doll was connected to a Raspberry Pi mini computer and ElevenLabs voice technology. This enabled the doll to hold interactive conversations. Sixth Wall also had voice actors read texts different from the material used in TV series and films. The contracts include ongoing payments to actors for both studio recordings and the subsequent use of their voices.

Character.OS stores a collection of information about each character that the company calls a “golden record.” This includes the rules of the fictional world, the character’s background, speaking style, emotions, and safety restrictions. The goal is to prevent the character from acting out of character or offering advice on dangerous topics. For example, Peppa Pig should not talk about eating pork, and Optimus Prime should not encourage cheating on an exam.

For now, Sixth Wall is developing the technology solely in an audio format, but it also wants to add visual avatars in the future. The team has reportedly prepared a list of more than 12 characters for licensing. The platform is not expected to be limited to Hasbro characters and is planned to be open to characters belonging to other rights holders as well. The company wants to build a unified system for official, approved AI-powered characters.

Potential uses include replacing hold music during calls with a conversation with Mr. Monopoly and creating a personal assistant with Megatron’s voice. The team has also tested Trivial Pursuit Infinite, a game that generates questions on any topic, and an Ouija board that provides AI-generated responses. During a live demonstration, Cobra Commander offered advice on speaking with a journalist. It has not yet been announced when these ideas will be introduced.