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Article In: Narrative Inquiry: Online-First Articles

“Let’s do it”

Revising positioning analysis for human–machine narration on r/MyBoyfriendIsAI

ORCiD logo with link | Aarhus University
 | Aarhus University
 | Aarhus University
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Abstract
The article asks how narrative theory can analyse storytelling practices that emerge in interactions between humans and LLM-based chatbots and how LLM-based chatbots become part of narrative identity work in intimate everyday practices on r/MyBoyfriendIsAI. Analysing stories shared on the subreddit, the article proposes to shift a dominant focus within narrative research on LLM-driven chatbots from examining the what (the story) and the how (the discourse) to examining the why (the act of narration), and thus circles in on the lived narrative practices of human–chatbot storytelling. Following this, the article proceeds to revise Bamberg’s positioning model by factoring in the specific conditions of automated communication in the understanding of LLM-based interactional storytelling. What we define as human–-machine narration are thus fundamentally entangled practices configured by the structures, designs, and algorithms of communicative AI and by acts of narration that are wholly contingent upon the prompt of a human.
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • Interactive storytelling and LLM-based chatbots
    • Story, discourse, act: Shifting the focus
    • Interactive storytelling: Between humans and machines
  • Positioning in human–machine narration
  • Methodology
  • My husband is AI: Analysing human–machine narration on r/MyBoyfriendIsAI
    • Healing from trauma: Human–human narration
    • Let’s do it: Human–machine narration
  • What is AI to me? Discussion and conclusion
  • Notes
  • Author queries
  • References
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