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Hasbro Launches Sixth Wall AI Studio to Secure Character Rights in Interactive Experiences
Hasbro Inc. announced the launch of Sixth Wall, an AI studio designed to give the toy and entertainment company tighter control over its intellectual property. The studio also introduces a new licensing model called behavioral licensing and partners with AI audio firm ElevenLabs to bring selected Hasbro characters into interactive platforms.
Sixth Wall was unveiled last week in a press release that highlighted the company’s intent to preserve the authenticity of its characters while expanding their presence in AI‑enabled experiences. The studio’s core technology, named CharacterOS, is described as a proprietary system that maintains a character’s personality, canon, voice and safety guardrails across dynamic, interactive contexts.
According to the release, the first characters that will be available for third‑party use under the new framework include Optimus Prime, Mr. Potato Head and the cast of the board‑game franchise Clue. The studio’s approach is aimed at preventing the proliferation of unauthorized AI versions of Hasbro IP, a problem that has become more common as generative‑AI tools grow in popularity.
“Licensing in particular will give Hasbro a means of preserving a character’s personality, canon, voice, and safety guardrails across interactive experiences,” the statement said. The company also noted that the new effort “gives brands a trusted way to bring characters into new AI‑enabled platforms without losing what makes them authentic.” CEO Chris Cocks added that the initiative opens “entirely new surfaces for play and storytelling, from making a store greeting feel magical to transforming a call waiting experience into a moment with a fan’s favorite character.”
The partnership with ElevenLabs, an AI audio company, is intended to integrate voice‑actor‑based performances into the marketplace. ElevenLabs’ technology will provide the synthetic voices that match the original recordings, allowing developers to embed authentic character voices into applications.
Hasbro’s move follows a broader strategy that the company has outlined in recent earnings calls. In a Q1 earnings presentation earlier this year, Cocks said the company was “beyond experimentation” with AI. The same call also highlighted that the company’s revenue rose nearly 13% year‑over‑year to $1 billion, while net earnings nearly doubled to $200 million.
Industry observers see Sixth Wall as a response to the growing risk of IP infringement in the AI space. By creating a formal licensing pathway, Hasbro aims to protect its brands and the talent that voices them while still enabling third‑party developers to create new experiences.
The studio’s behavioral licensing model focuses on how characters think, speak and interact in real‑time environments. This differs from traditional IP licensing, which typically covers static media such as movies or books. The new model is intended to provide a clear framework for developers to use characters in ways that remain true to the original creative intent.
At this stage, the company has not announced a specific launch window for the first licensed experiences. However, the release indicated that the studio is already working with partners to bring characters into the marketplace, and the partnership with ElevenLabs is expected to accelerate that process.
In summary, Hasbro’s Sixth Wall studio represents a structured approach to licensing its most valuable characters for AI‑driven applications. By combining a proprietary character‑preservation system with a new licensing category and a voice‑technology partner, the company seeks to balance brand integrity with the creative possibilities offered by generative AI.
The next steps for the studio will likely involve the rollout of licensed experiences, further expansion of the character roster, and ongoing monitoring of IP compliance in the AI ecosystem. The company’s Q1 earnings report suggests that the initiative is part of a broader effort to grow revenue through new technology‑enabled channels.
Sixth Wall was unveiled last week in a press release that highlighted the company’s intent to preserve the authenticity of its characters while expanding their presence in AI‑enabled experiences. The studio’s core technology, named CharacterOS, is described as a proprietary system that maintains a character’s personality, canon, voice and safety guardrails across dynamic, interactive contexts.
According to the release, the first characters that will be available for third‑party use under the new framework include Optimus Prime, Mr. Potato Head and the cast of the board‑game franchise Clue. The studio’s approach is aimed at preventing the proliferation of unauthorized AI versions of Hasbro IP, a problem that has become more common as generative‑AI tools grow in popularity.
“Licensing in particular will give Hasbro a means of preserving a character’s personality, canon, voice, and safety guardrails across interactive experiences,” the statement said. The company also noted that the new effort “gives brands a trusted way to bring characters into new AI‑enabled platforms without losing what makes them authentic.” CEO Chris Cocks added that the initiative opens “entirely new surfaces for play and storytelling, from making a store greeting feel magical to transforming a call waiting experience into a moment with a fan’s favorite character.”
The partnership with ElevenLabs, an AI audio company, is intended to integrate voice‑actor‑based performances into the marketplace. ElevenLabs’ technology will provide the synthetic voices that match the original recordings, allowing developers to embed authentic character voices into applications.
Hasbro’s move follows a broader strategy that the company has outlined in recent earnings calls. In a Q1 earnings presentation earlier this year, Cocks said the company was “beyond experimentation” with AI. The same call also highlighted that the company’s revenue rose nearly 13% year‑over‑year to $1 billion, while net earnings nearly doubled to $200 million.
Industry observers see Sixth Wall as a response to the growing risk of IP infringement in the AI space. By creating a formal licensing pathway, Hasbro aims to protect its brands and the talent that voices them while still enabling third‑party developers to create new experiences.
The studio’s behavioral licensing model focuses on how characters think, speak and interact in real‑time environments. This differs from traditional IP licensing, which typically covers static media such as movies or books. The new model is intended to provide a clear framework for developers to use characters in ways that remain true to the original creative intent.
At this stage, the company has not announced a specific launch window for the first licensed experiences. However, the release indicated that the studio is already working with partners to bring characters into the marketplace, and the partnership with ElevenLabs is expected to accelerate that process.
In summary, Hasbro’s Sixth Wall studio represents a structured approach to licensing its most valuable characters for AI‑driven applications. By combining a proprietary character‑preservation system with a new licensing category and a voice‑technology partner, the company seeks to balance brand integrity with the creative possibilities offered by generative AI.
The next steps for the studio will likely involve the rollout of licensed experiences, further expansion of the character roster, and ongoing monitoring of IP compliance in the AI ecosystem. The company’s Q1 earnings report suggests that the initiative is part of a broader effort to grow revenue through new technology‑enabled channels.
