A new feature from AI entertainment platform Character.AI lets users get into their favorite classic books in a whole new way. With the feature, aptly named Books, users can engage in open-ended chats based on one of more than 20 classic titles like Pride and Prejudice, The Great Gatsby, Alice in Wonderland and others.
In these chats, the user can engage as either a character from the book or one that they’ve created in the platform. They can follow the original narrative of the book or take it in their own direction, and there is also an “alternate universe remixes” option in which the entire idea of the story can be changed. For example, someone could play as Mr. Darcy in the modern day.
Character.AI hopes that people will walk away from these interactions with a greater desire to engage with the source material. “Step into a story, talk to its characters, and there’s a good chance you walk away wanting to pick up the original,” the company said. “Not replacing books — but making them impossible to ignore.”
