Character.AI has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and plans to sell substantially all of its assets, with Disney offering $20 million as a "stalking-horse bidder" for select intellectual property and company claims. However, the company said Disney's bid is subject to "higher or better offers." Deadline reports: The company, which allows users to create and interact with AI-generated avatars, said it made the filing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. It said it hopes the process will allow it to "facilitate a value-maximizing sale of all or substantially all" of its assets. The Character.AI platform will continue to operate during the bankruptcy. The Disney agreement, reached prior to the filing, would give the media giant a non-exclusive perpetual license of select intellectual property and company claims from Character.AI. Disney would pay $20 million and provide resources during a transition period as the company explores a sale. [...] Character.AI said it is aiming to conclude the sale process by late November or early December. Character.AI has faced a series of controversies over the past year or so. Most notably, the company settled multiple lawsuits alleging its chatbots encouraged self-harm and suicide among teenagers, including a high-profile case involving 14-year-old Sewell Setzer III. The company also faces lawsuits from Kentucky, which alleges its chatbots encouraged self-harm, and Pennsylvania, which claims the bots illegally impersonated licensed doctors. The latter allegations follow earlier complaints that Character.AI's therapy chatbots engaged in the unlicensed practice of medicine. In September 2025, Disney accused Character.AI of copyright infringement and using its characters in chatbots that were "sexually exploitive and otherwise harmful and dangerous to children," prompting their removal from the platform. These mounting legal challenges and regulatory scrutiny ultimately contributed to this eventual bankruptcy filing.

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Kroger says it will cut 3,000 corporate jobs over the next three years as it expands its use of AI and other technology to streamline operations. "Technology is reshaping what's possible," CEO Greg Foran wrote in a memo to employees on Monday. "The way work gets done is changing across every industry; we must adapt and take advantage of technology. We need to adopt capabilities, reduce duplicative work and look closely at where work is best fit to be done." ABC News reports: Kroger last month outlined its AI strategy, meant "to improve the customer experience, make work easier for associates and produce better business outcomes." Cincinnati-based Kroger is the largest standalone U.S. supermarket chain with 409,000 employees and more than 2,700 stores operating under various brands, including Ralphs, King Soopers, Smith's and Fred Meyer. Kroger named former Walmart executive Foran CEO in February, 11 months after the abrupt resignation of its previous CEO. Foran has a reputation for being tech-savvy and detail-oriented. He led Walmart's U.S. division from 2014 to 2019, where he focused on cleaning up stores, ensuring items were in stock and improving the fresh produce selection. He also introduced online ordering and pickup, and accelerated Walmart's digital capabilities.

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On en avait parlé lors du dernier NoScope, mais on n’avait pas fait de news : fin septembre, Blue Dot Games, qui avait repris le développement de ’83 en 2023, a annoncé l’arrêt des ventes du jeu sur Steam. Dans son billet de blog Steam, le studio explique que malgré la publication d’une grosse mise à jour et l’exposition médiatique fournie par le FPS Game Show, le nombre de joueurs n’a pas été suffisant pour convaincre leurs investisseurs de continuer à financer le projet. Faute de moyens pour poursuivre le développement jusqu’à la version 1.0, ils ont donc décidé de retirer le jeu de la vente, en attendant de trouver une porte de sortie.

Mais retraçons rapidement son parcours. Initialement développé par Antimatter Games (Rising Storm 2: Vietnam), ’83 avait été annoncé en 2019, puis mis en pause en 2022 au profit d’I.G.I. Origins. Finalement, ce dernier sera également abandonné lors de la dissolution du studio britannique en 2022. Mais un an plus tard, ’83 renaissait de ses cendres par l’intermédiaire d’un nouveau studio, Blue Dot Games, qui avait embauché d’anciens du projet. Avançons rapidement jusqu’à 2025, lors de la publication d’une démo : c’est moche et ça n’apporte rien. Tout le monde s’en rend évidemment compte, même les devs, qui repoussent la sortie du titre, mais seulement de cinq mois, alors qu’il y avait tout à refaire. Évidemment, la sortie en accès anticipé est catastrophique. Depuis, les développeurs tentent de maintenir le jeu à flot en organisant des événements qui ne remplissent même pas les serveurs, ce qui nous amène à la situation actuelle…

Bref, on ne va pas pleurer : on voyait déjà venir la catastrophe il y a presque un an, et on est même étonnés qu’ils n’aient pas débranché la prise plus tôt.