Character.AI and the quest for immersion in fan fiction practices

Abstract

The digital age has transformed methods of fan engagement, enabling increasingly immersive, interactive, and personalized exchanges with media that blur the boundaries between fiction and reality. The evolution from self-insert fan fiction to generative AI (artificial intelligence)–driven websites and digital applications like Character.AI represents a shift toward a desire for real-time interaction with fictional characters and fan objects, offering new dimensions of emotive and transformative engagement. While self-insert fan fiction has long served as a medium for fans to explore alternative narratives and representations within the worlds of beloved fan objects, Character.AI allows users to converse with AI-generated character chatbots from their preferred fan objects, deepening emotional engagement and opportunities for individualized interaction by the fan-as-author and fan-as-character. I raise questions regarding ethical engagement with generative AI chatbots and the potential for harmful repercussions as a result of their usage, as well as examine the evolution of these transformative fan practices and their intended result of emotional resonance and ontological security within contemporary fandoms.