AI, gaming fandom, and reshaping the fan fiction landscape

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) seems to be appearing in nearly every element of technological life, from virtual assistants to home appliances. As AI becomes more integrated into everyday life, its presence and impact are becoming difficult to ignore. The popularity of chatbots that rely on this technology is increasing, with some programs advertising themselves as a way to chat with your favorite characters. I explore the early impacts of this technology on three gaming fandoms and among users of two chatbot apps, drawing from online conversations to explore and theorize how engagement with AI is reshaping fandom, creating new cocreative fan fiction experiences, and presenting new obstacles for fans as they grapple with this new means of exploring fandom, narrative, and identity. While we think of video games as the ultimate media expression of agency, with players able to make choices and exert influence on environments, narratives, or other in-game outcomes, these stories exist with fewer of the bounds that game design imposes. Ultimately, the extensive agency that this interactive fan fiction offers fans has huge implications for the fandom experiences of video game players and beyond. It also has immense transformative potential, but the biases and potential negative impacts of AI have given many fans pause as more users flock to these apps.