YAPAY ZEKA TABANLI İLETİŞİM: CHARACTER AI UYGULAMASININ İLETİŞİM BİLİMLERİ BAĞLAMINDA İNCELENMESİ

The rapid rise of artificial intelligence in the field of communication necessitates a critical reevaluation of classical human-centered communication theories, leading to profound transformations in subjectivity, meaning-making, and processes of social representation.This study approaches artificial intelligence not merely as a technological tool, but as a communicative actor.In this context, the research examines the case of Character AI, analyzing how AI engages with users on technical, theoretical, and experiential levels.Grounded in Media Equation Theory, Social Response Theory, and posthumanist perspectives, the study explores the emotional, empathetic, and interactive bonds users form with AI-generated characters.Furthermore, it interrogates the ideological and directive roles of algorithmic discourse production, highlighting how these processes shape user experience.Drawing on Nick Couldry and Ulises Mejias's critiques of data colonialism and cultural hegemony, the analysis incorporates in-app interactions and sample dialogues to assess the sociocultural dynamics at play.Ultimately, the study argues that Character AI is not merely a piece of software, but a site where digital subjectivity, creative communication, and cultural representation converge positioning artificial intelligence as an emergent communicative domain integrated into broader societal structures.