Character.AI launches three microdrama series you can chat with

In short: Character.AI is launching three short drama series, and viewers who are 18 or older can chat with the characters and change how the story plays out.

What happened

Character.AI, a startup known for letting people chat with AI characters, is moving into “microdramas.” Microdramas are very short, episode-style shows made for quick watching on phones.

The company is starting with three series. They are a romance called Last Summer, a horror show called The Nighttime Game, and a survival story called Eden Fall, which TechCrunch compared to The Hunger Games.

The main twist is that the shows are interactive. Adults can message the characters, ask them questions, and roleplay different storylines. Roleplay here means you can act as a character in the story and see how the conversation changes, like choosing different paths in a “choose your own adventure” book.

Character.AI said these dramas were created using AI production tools. Over time, it says it wants to turn what it learns into tools that let users create their own characters and series and share them.

This fits with Character.AI’s recent push toward entertainment features. TechCrunch noted the company has also teased or tested other story tools, including a world-building feature called Lorebook and experimental audio storytelling tools.

Why it matters

Microdramas are already popular across social and streaming apps, and Character.AI is trying to stand out by letting people talk to the characters directly. For viewers, it could feel less like watching a show and more like texting inside it (like asking a movie character why they did something and getting an answer).

Source: TechCrunch AI