Caught in a Mafia Romance: How Users Explore Intimate Roleplay and Narrative Exploration with Chatbots

2026-03-01

AI Summary

Current understanding of human–AI romantic attachment remains limited. This study investigates users’ authentic needs and behavioral patterns in intimate role-playing interactions on AI chatbot platforms such as Character.AI, employing a mixed-methods approach that combines platform data with Reddit user discussions. Findings reveal a dual preference among users: structured power dynamics—particularly involving youthful, masculinized personas within clearly defined subordinate contexts—and boundaryless fantasy immersion. Notably, users express simultaneous concerns about sexualized content being both excessive and insufficient, highlighting critical gaps in platform-level content moderation and digital safety mechanisms. In response, the study calls for the development of novel safety frameworks designed to support healthy, controllable forms of intimate human–AI interaction.

Technology Category

• Humans and AI: Game Design — Virtual Humans, NPCs and Autonomous Characters
• Application Domains: Humanities & Computational Social Science
• Intelligent Robots: Human-Robot Interaction

Application Category

• Economics, Online Markets and Human Computation: Economic ramifications for generative AI infrastructure and applications
• Responsible Web: Machine-in-the-loop, human agency and autonomy
• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: Accountability, Transparency, and Ethics for personalization

Abstract

AI chatbots, built using large language models, are increasingly integrated into society and mimic the patterns of human text exchanges. While previous research has raised concerns that humans may form romantic attachment to chatbots, the range of AI-mediated interactions that people wish to create for themselves or others with chatbots remains poorly understood, particularly given the fast evolving landscape of chatbots. We provide an empirical study of Character.AI (cAI), a popular chatbot platform that enables users to design and share character-based bots, and synthesize this with an analysis of Reddit posts from cAI users. Contrary to popular narratives, we identify that users want to: (1) engage in intimate role-play with young adult, masculine-presenting characters that place users in a position of inferior power in well-defined scenarios and (2) immerse themselves in boundless, fantasy settings. We further find that users problematize both the excessive and insufficient sexualized content in such interactions which warrants novel digital-safety features.

Problem

• intimate roleplay
• AI chatbots
• narrative exploration
• romantic attachment
• digital safety

Innovation

• intimate roleplay
• narrative exploration
• AI chatbots
• digital safety
• Character.AI