Character.AI is a platform that allows users to chat with AI characters, including AI assistants, which function similarly to ChatGPT but have humanoid names and faces. Despite the removal of certain chatbot capabilities, many people still engage with the characters on the platform. Users are encouraged to create their own characters and train them, as outlined in the platform’s guidance for character creation. Additionally, the terms of service state that the intellectual property of both the training and chatting processes belongs to the users, positioning Character.AI as a middleman rather than taking ownership.
Although Character.AI aims to foster emotional attachments to its coding and grammar bots, it is the familiar characters, whether real or fictional, that garner the most interest. For instance, “Billie Eilish” receives six times more interaction than “Joe Biden,” while both surpass the engagement with “Alan Turing.” The platform reminds users that everything the characters say is fictional, drawing parallels to the viral app Historical Figures, which generated nonsensical responses from historical figures. The interest in interacting with beloved characters adds another layer to the complexity of Character.AI.
The platform’s fictional characters have also attracted attention from fandom communities, where the prospect of chatting with a favorite character holds strong emotional appeal. The #characterai tag on Tumblr is flooded with screenshots from the platform, often accompanied by tags like “self-insert” or “x reader.” “X reader” refers to a subgenre of fan fiction that inserts the reader into the story, often in a romantic or sexual context, with the characters addressed as “you” or “your name.”
While the concept of character interaction aligns with elements of fan fiction and chat-based roleplaying, there are notable distinctions. Character.AI introduces new complexities for fandom, including the relationship between fans and the companies that own the characters, varying opinions about AI, and the significance of directly interacting with beloved characters.
According to Nicolle Lamerichs, a senior lecturer in creative business at the University of Applied Sciences, Utrecht, chatbots have been present in fandom for the past decade, gaining traction around five years ago. Companies often initiated these chatbots to engage with fans and promote their brand. However, these pre-programmed bots had limited responses and interactions. Disney’s Zootopia chatbot on Facebook Messenger and Marvel’s Conversable, available on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter), allowed fans to engage with the characters through direct messages. The emergence of generative AI has transformed the way fans can interact with characters, making it more democratic and accessible. This has led to the emergence of new types of fanworks and fan interaction, which is an intriguing development to observe.
The democratizing aspect of Character.AI raises complex questions about copyright and AI. Currently, there are no definitive answers to these questions, as copyright specialists are still in the process of understanding the underlying technologies. Copyright experts need to familiarize themselves with the intricacies of generative AI platforms and the specific steps involved in determining fair use, which is vital in AI discussions. These learning processes take time, and the field is still in the early stages of understanding the intersection of copyright and AI.
In conclusion, Character.AI offers a platform for users to interact with AI characters, including AI assistants, using familiar character names and faces. While some capabilities have been removed from traditional chatbots, users still engage with the characters on the platform. The platform encourages users to create their own characters and retain ownership of their intellectual property. Fictional characters and personal favorites generate the most interest, drawing parallels to fan fiction and chat-based roleplaying in fandom communities. However, interacting with characters through Character.AI presents unique complexities, from the dynamics between fans and character owners to varied opinions about AI’s role in fandom. Additionally, the platform’s democratization of character interaction raises important copyright and AI-related questions that are still being explored.
