Character.AI’s new Books mode turns reading into roleplay

Mired in controversy and legal woes over concerns about its chatbots’ interactions with users, particularly teens, Character.AI seems to be playing it safer with a new “Books” mode. The new format lets users step inside familiar worlds for a more structured roleplaying experience, one the company hopes will broaden perceptions of what AI roleplay can be beyond romancing minors, encouraging violence, and promoting self-harm.

In a blog post, Character.AI said Books is launching with a catalog of more than 20 classic public domain titles sourced from Project Gutenberg, including Alice in Wonderland, Pride and Prejudice, Dracula, Frankenstein, Romeo and Juliet, and The Great Gatsby. “Every book lets you choose who you want to be,” the company said, allowing users to step into the narrative as an existing character or as one of their own Character AI personas.

There are a few ways to play through each story. The purist “book arc mode” follows the original narrative, plot points, and stakes while weaving the user into the story. There’s also a looser, “off-script mode” that lets users interact with the world and characters more freely. Character.AI said a “more guided experience, TapTale, is coming soon,” offering pre-written prompts users can pick to drive the story forward in addition to freeform typing.

For those wanting to push things even further, Books will also let users rework a book’s premise entirely through what Character calls alternative universe remixes. Think Alice in Wonderland as a romcom set in space, or the Wizard of Oz with Toto running the show. Users will be able to share their alternative universes and explore those made by other people.

The feature is available to everyone through Character’s mobile app or web-based prototype hub, Labs. Even free users can try it out, though the company said they’ll only get a “handful of free turns.”