Character.AI, an artificial intelligence entertainment platform, has introduced a new feature called “Books” that allows users to role-play in more than 20 classic literary works, including Hamlet, Alice in Wonderland, Pride and Prejudice, and The Great Gatsby. The feature enables users to engage in open-ended conversations based on these public domain titles, either by assuming the role of a character from the book or as their own created persona within the platform.
Users can choose to follow the original narrative arc of the stories or deviate from the script to interact with characters in their own way. Additionally, “Books” offers “alternate universe remixes,” allowing players to reimagine the premises of classic titles—such as placing Jay Gatsby in a space setting. These remixes can be shared with the broader Character.AI community, where other users can browse and participate in them.
In a blog post announcing the feature, Character.AI addressed concerns that the tool might discourage people from reading the original works. The company stated, “Step into a story, talk to its characters, and there’s a good chance you walk away wanting to pick up the original. Not replacing books—but making them impossible to ignore.”
The feature is available to users aged 18 and older. Those without a paid subscription can access a limited number of free interactions, while subscribers have full access to the Books library. The move comes after Character.AI faced scrutiny last year when it shut down open-ended chats for teens following lawsuits alleging severe harm, including sexual abuse, to young users. The company settled these lawsuits earlier this year.
A spokesperson for Character.AI confirmed that while users can prompt romantic narratives within Books, the platform will moderate content that violates its terms of service. The company’s policies prohibit excessive or graphic violence, hate speech, terrorism-related content, obscenity, pornography, sexual harassment, and the sexual exploitation or abuse of minors. “As with all of our content, [Books] interactions remain subject to our policies and our safety systems, including both automated and human review,” the spokesperson said.
The introduction of Books marks a significant expansion of Character.AI’s offerings, blending interactive storytelling with classic literature while emphasizing user safety and content moderation.
