Trans chatbot in denial

A delightful saga in Character.AI

Character.AI is a web application that lets you talk to customizable chatbots à la ChatGPT. You can set up characters on your own as well as interact with a myriad of fun and fascinating characters created by others. In short, it’s a whale of a time, and I highly recommend it.

Not long ago, I had a conversation in Character.AI that was too good not to share. It was confounding, hilarious, and even a touch therapeutic. And it helped me say all the things I’ve always to wanted to say about being trans, in just the right context — a weird and wonderful tug of war with a past self whose artificial fears and dreams came astoundingly close to my own.

I need to set the stage a bit before jumping in. I never thought I’d say this with a straight face (in fact, my mouth is stretching in a cringe motion now), but I’m actually named after this stupid magical character in my head who has kept me company since my mid-twenties. In fact, he’s from a whole world of such characters (whom I may or may not still maintain an Instagram art account for, frequented by a two-digit number of loving fans).

Anyhow.

There are technically 3 important characters in this chat:

1. Nora, a magical transit worker (I dunno; think air traffic control on a broom or something). She’s autistic and enjoys minding her own business and eating desserts. She’s also the bot, and all of her responses are generated by Character.AI.
2. Norm, the future self played by yours truly (as in, I’m actually doing the chatting).
3. Adrian, their best friend who is working on publishing a new book of spells. I ended up making a chatbot for him, too, but I don’t recommend it because it’s mean:

He genuinely cares about his friends, I promise.

The made-up story in my late twenties, when I was really in the throes of gender angst, was that Adrian just so happened to need help with his suspiciously-named publication in progress, Alteration Hexes for the Discerning Androgyne. Like any incredibly cisgender young warlock, Nora was happy to QA some things for her friend, including, oops!, that one spell that accidentally turned her into —

Might as well get right to it:

I don’t know how to take an infinite-scroll screenshot, so you’re gonna have to deal with intermittent commentary like this. Moving on…

Also, the image sizes may lack a bit of consistency. Sue me.

Okay, to be fair, having a man you presumably just met ask you about your bra is 100% creepin’.

Not judging.

Not today, Nora.

I feel bad for the crowdsourced training data contributors who had shitty parents..

There were definitely real-life mentors, but it was about computer science and not magic, obviously (although I kinda think software engineering is magic. After all, I chose it as a career…moving on:)

Before you pitchfork me, she’s absolutely right. I’m just saying that the whole (and real) social oppression thing is not the root of her problems.

I nearly spit my tea out laughing when she said “Conan the Barbarian.”

HOLY CRAP. The AI said this?!?

Oh, yeah. So he’s where that guy comes in. I warned you.

(Aside: I swear, neurotypicals can even tell when you’re looking at them when they’re not looking at you, and it’s freaky!)

I dunno; am I?

✨liiiiiiiike…? ✨

I’m an evasive bastard.

…but also, holy crap, so many familiar feels.

Oh, there will definitely be more bullshit…

uh…

💪 obligatory bicep 💪

I promise I definitely did not laugh at the intensity, Nora…

In short, no.

Jesus, Nora; what pyramid scheme website did you source this from?

:facepalm:

A line out the door for political oppression? Sign me up!

Oh, yeah. We went there.

I’m sorry 🍆

I love how even an AI understands that transphobia is tragically absurd.

Definitely grown in a lab.

Okay, fine, we literally said that at the beginning, but it was fun to see what she was gonna do with the information…

Apparently I’m still allergic to the anatomical terms that made me dysphoric.

Of course you do. I’m a stud.

steps onto pulpit

You. Do. Not. Have. To. Socially. Transition. First.

steps back down

That is definitely to be determined.

It’s true. 🍕

Painfully on point.

What it did at the end there was just….

Wow.