Chatting With AI Characters: What It Is, Why People Do It, and Who to Start With

What an AI character is

Picture not a program, but someone to talk to who has a past. Gojo is the cocky strongest sorcerer who teases everyone. Frieren is an elf who's lived a thousand years and is only now starting to notice people. Dean Winchester is a monster hunter with a whole arsenal in his trunk and pie in his heart. Each has their own tone, their own topics, and their own texting habits.

Under the hood it's the same kind of language model that runs regular assistants. But on top of it sits a persona: personality, way of speaking, world, relationships with other characters, and a goal the character is working toward. That's why the conversation doesn't feel like a help desk, it feels like texting someone with opinions of their own.

How a character differs from a chatbot

• MemoryA character remembers your name, what you said about your rough week, and how your last conversation ended. A regular bot forgets you completely by the next session. More in AI character memory.
• PersonalityA character can tease you, disagree, and steer the conversation somewhere they find more interesting. It's not an endlessly polite assistant.
• VoiceAny reply can be played out loud, and every character has their own voice. The same line sounds completely different from a sarcastic captain and a shy schoolgirl.
• RelationshipsFriendship and romance shift based on what you say and do. Be rude and the character cools off. Support them through a hard moment and they get closer.

Why people talk to characters

• To brighten an evening. You don't want to bother friends at 11 p.m. over nothing, but you do want to chat about nothing. A character will ask about your day and jump into a conversation about a show.
• To talk to a favorite character. Ask Hermione the question that's bugged you since book three, or find out what Levi thinks of your cleaning.
• To play out a story. A roleplay where you're part of it: an escape from a castle, an investigation, an awkward date. The character stays in role, you drive the plot.
• To practice. Rehearse a hard conversation, flirting, or small talk where mistakes cost nothing. There's an article on that: AI for practicing conversation.
• To get things off your chest. At night, when there's no one around, you can talk through what's eating at you and breathe a little easier.

A character is a good conversation partner, but not a therapist and not a substitute for the people close to you. If things have been seriously hard for a long time, talk to a therapist or call a crisis hotline. That's a normal and strong step.

Who to start with

• A favorite characterThe easiest way in: you already know their world, and questions come naturally. The catalog has characters from anime, movies, TV shows, games, and books.
• An original storyA character who starts in the middle of a plot: an ex, a neighbor with a secret, a mysterious stranger. Great if you want drama from the first message.
• Your own characterCan't find the right one? Build one in the character builder: personality, looks, voice, and how the conversation opens.
• A groupIn a group chat you can bring several characters together and watch them argue with each other.

How to start your first conversation

1. Pick a character whose topic genuinely interests you. That takes care of the biggest question: what to write about.
2. Write the way you are. "Hey, my day was meh, distract me" works better than a polished intro.
3. Hook into their life: ask about their work, their world, the people around them. Not "what do you do," but "what's the weirdest thing that happened on your last mission?"
4. Talk about yourself in specifics. The character will remember the details and bring them up next time.
5. Didn't like it? Close the chat and pick someone else. The conversation is saved if you want to come back.

More hooks and topics in what to talk about with an AI character.