Character.AI launches c.ai Series, interactive vertical microdramas

In short: Character.AI has launched c.ai Series, a new set of short, animated vertical videos for phones that you can interact with by chatting with the characters.

What happened

Character.AI announced c.ai Series, which it describes as short, episode-based videos built for vertical viewing on a phone, similar to how many people watch TikTok or Instagram Reels.

The company says these shows are animated and made almost entirely with generative AI. Generative AI is software that can create new content, like images, video, or voices, based on patterns it learned from lots of examples, a bit like an autocomplete tool that works for media instead of text.

This puts Character.AI into the “microdrama” space, where apps offer quick, snack-sized story episodes. The Verge notes this market is expected to grow significantly in the next few years, with one projection describing it as a $26 billion industry.

Why it matters

The key difference is what happens after you watch. With c.ai Series, viewers can chat with the characters once an episode ends, like talking to someone from the show in a messaging app (similar to a DVD bonus feature, but as a conversation).

Character.AI is starting with three series: Last Summer, a story about secret admirers with an anime look, The Nighttime Game, about friends playing a deadly card game, and Eden Fall, about elite online game players pulled into a virtual reality world.

Source: The Verge AI