Build a Conversational AI Fandom APP

Today’s fans demand more than just passive viewing. They seek deep immersion, real-time connection, and the opportunity to interact with their favorite idols in everyday life. Conversational AI opens the door to these possibilities, offering 24/7 interactive virtual personas, personalized companion modes, and seamless integration with physical merchandise. This advanced technology brings artists, influencers, and IP characters to life in a dynamic digital ecosystem.

The Evolution of Fan Platforms

Traditional fan platforms relied primarily on text chats and simple subscription models, often lacking the depth of interaction and emotional connection fans now crave. As a result, many fans found little reason to return or engage on a deeper level.

Traditional Fan Engagement

• Limited Interactivity: Artists and influencers have limited time for live streaming or direct fan contact.

• Low User Stickiness: Minimal emotional linkage leads to fewer repeat visits.

• Basic Monetization: Simple subscription models miss out on the full potential of fan enthusiasm.

AI-Powered Fan Engagement

• 24/7 Interaction: Conversational AI empowers fans with always-on chat, voice, and video engagement.

• Immersive AI Merchandise: AI-integrated toys, devices, and other real-world products create deeper emotional experiences.

• Diverse Revenue Streams: Offer premium AI companions, IP licensing, limited-edition collectibles, and virtual goods.

Round-the-Clock Connection: Real-Time Virtual Personas

Conversational AI enables fans to interact with virtual iterations of celebrities, influencers, or IP-based characters at any time. Fans can choose various “companion modes”—from “friend” to “mentor”—to get personalized content and emotional support. This fosters fan loyalty and continually boosts the value and visibility of the IP or celebrity brand.

Licensing IP for Conversational AI

Entertainment companies can license the voice, appearance, and personality of a star or influencer to create AI assistants or tutorial services. Whether it’s language learning or motivational tidbits, fans can transform their devotion into daily functionality. Imagine your favorite singer coaching you in a new language or sharing words of encouragement—bridging fandom and real-world value.

Fusing Digital Emotion with Physical Connection

While virtual personas in the digital realm are compelling, integrating them into physical products makes the experience all the more tangible. Through AI toys, AI-enabled headphones, speakers, and wearable tech, fans can enjoy the feeling of real companionship with virtual personalities in everyday situations.

• AI Keychains/Figurines: Preloaded with a celebrity’s voice, these AI items offer comforting, conversational support.

• AI Headphones & Speakers: With real-time translation or voice prompts, fans can “chat” with idols in any language.

• Wearable Devices: Smart bracelets or glasses deliver personalized notifications, event updates, and daily reminders from virtual personas.

The Future of AI Fan Engagement

A glimpse into the next generation of fan interaction comes from BLACKPINK’s Jisoo and her AI companion technology:

• Deeper Connections: Jisoo’s AI interacts with fans in real time, tailoring conversations and emotional support.

• Seamless Integration: The AI memorizes fan preferences and schedules, offering everything from wake-up calls in Jisoo’s voice to evening livestream reminders.

• AI Merchandise: Toys and wearables synchronize with the virtual idol, providing haptic feedback and tracking her latest music releases, event news, and even TV appearances—ensuring fans never miss a beat.

Expanding Revenue Models through Conversational AI

Conversational AI opens up multi-layered revenue avenues beyond simple subscription plans:

• Paid AI Modes: Tiered virtual companions, from casual “friend” to premium “mentor.”

• IP Licensing: Deploy star voices and likenesses across games, apps, and other products.

• Digital-Physical Bundling: Combine in-app interaction with AI-driven merchandise to deliver extra value.

• White-Label Solutions: Record labels, agencies, and independent creators can quickly launch their own AI platforms.

Fandom as a Service: A Multi-Billion Dollar Opportunity

With a global fan economy on track to surpass billions of dollars, having a robust real-time communication and conversational AI infrastructure is crucial to thriving in this space.

Enter Tencent RTC—a trusted technology partner that specializes in ultra-low-latency communication and streamlined development processes. From AI-powered celebrity avatars to beloved IP characters, Tencent RTC enables deep fan engagement through immersive interactions.

For businesses looking to integrate these AI personas into hardware devices, Tencent RTC’s AIConversationKit offers a comprehensive software-hardware solution, effortlessly embedding conversational AI into toys, merchandise, and beyond. Guided by Tencent RTC’s innovative approach, fans evolve from distant observers into active participants, while artists and brands reap the rewards of stronger loyalty, enriched storytelling, and diverse monetization opportunities.

How to Build an iOS Conversational App with a UI

Now, let’s take a closer look at how to integrate the AIConversationKit within just 20 minutes. By following this guide, you’ll navigate essential setup steps, culminating in a fully functional conversational AI project complete with a polished user interface—all in a short timeframe.

Environment Preparation

Minimum compatibility with iOS 13. Recommend using iOS 13 and above versions.

Xcode 13 and above versions.

Step 1: Activating Service

Before initiating a conversation using AiConversationKit, you need to go to the console to activate conversational AI service for AiConversationKit. For specific steps, please refer to Activate Service.

Step 2: Download the AIConversationKit Component

Go to Github to download the zip file. After decompressing it, you will see the AIConversationKit directory, the AIConversationKit.podspec file, and the Resource directory.

Step 3: Configuration

Copy the AIConversationKit, podspec and Resource in the directory decompressed in the above step two to your project:

Then, in the Podfile of your project, add the following dependencies:

   pod 'AIConversationKit',:path => 'AIConversationKit.podspec':

Once the configuration completed, execute pod install to complete the installation of dependencies;

Use XCode to open .xcworkspace and configure the certificate information:

Step 4: Sign In

Add the following code to your project. It enables the component to log in by calling relevant APIs in TUILogin. This step is critical because only after logging in can AIConversationkit features be used properly. Please patiently check if the relevant parameters are configured correctly.

import TUICore
import AIConversationKit

func application(_ application: UIApplication, didFinishLaunchingWithOptions launchOptions: [UIApplication.LaunchOptionsKey: Any]?) -> Bool {
        let sdkAppId = 1600000001  // Please replace with your sdkAppId
        let userId = "people"      // Please replace with your UserID
        let secretKey = "xxx"      // Please replace with your sdkSecretKey
        let userSig = GenerateTestUserSig.genTestUserSig(sdkAppId: sdkAppId, identifier: userId, secrectkey: secretKey)
        TUILogin.login(Int32(sdkAppId), userID: userId, userSig:userSig){
            print("login success")
        } fail: { code, message in
            print("login failed, code: \\(code), error: \\(message ?? "nil")")
        }
    return true
}

Step 5: Start Your First Conversational AI project

Upon success of TUILogin.login, see the following code to initiate conversational AI.

let startParams = StartAIConversationParams()

let sdkAppId = 1600000001  // 1,Replace your sdkAppId
let secretKey = "xxx"      // 2,Replace your sdkSecretKey
let aiRobotId = "robot_\\(TUILogin.getUserID() ?? "")"
let aiRobotSig = GenerateTestUserSig.genTestUserSig(sdkAppId: sdkAppId, identifier: aiRobotId, secrectkey: secretKey)
startParams.agentConfig = AIConversationDefine.AgentConfig.generateDefaultConfig(aiRobotId: aiRobotId, aiRobotSig: aiRobotSig)

startParams.secretId = "xxx"           // 3,Replace your secretId
startParams.secretKey = "xxx"          // 4,Replace your secretKey

// 5,Replace your llmConfig
startParams.llmConfig = "{\\"LLMType\\":\\"openai\\",\\"Model\\":\\"hunyuan-turbo-latest\\",\\"SystemPrompt\\":\\"You are a personal assistant\\",\\"APIUrl\\":\\"<https://hunyuan.cloud.tencent.com/openai/v1/chat/completions\\",\\"APIKey\\":\\"xxxx\\",\\"History\\":5,\\"Streaming\\":true}">
// 6,Replace your ttsConfig
startParams.ttsConfig = "{\\"TTSType\\":\\"tencent\\",\\"AppId\\":\\"xxx\\",\\"SecretId\\":\\"xxx\\",\\"SecretKey\\":\\"xxx\\",\\"VoiceType\\":\\"502001\\",\\"Speed\\":1.25,\\"Volume\\":5,\\"PrimaryLanguage\\":1,\\"FastVoiceType\\":\\"\\"}"

let aiViewController = AIConversationViewController(aiParams: startParams)
navigationController?.pushViewController(aiViewController, animated: true)

Use the data obtained in step four for sdkAppId and sdkSecretKey.

On the application details page, select RTC-Engine \> Conversational AI, refer to No-Code Quick Integration Of Conversational AI Feature configure conversational AI service parameters, including basic configuration, STT, LLM, TTS, click lower right corner Quick Interation, switch to iOS, obtain SecretId, SecretKey and Config parameters.

Copy the SecretId and SecretKey of TencentCloud API to startParams.secretId and startParams.secretKey.

Copy the Config information to a JSON parsing tool, such as JsonUtil. Copy the string value corresponding to LLMConfig to startParams.llmConfig, and copy the string value corresponding to TTSConfig to startParams.ttsConfig.

This hands-on approach helps you efficiently bring AI companions and virtual personas to life on iOS devices, taking your fan engagement strategy to the next level.

Conclusion

Through AI-driven personalized communication and physical product tie-ins, creators and brands can build tighter, longer-lasting relationships with their audiences. In contrast to older, text-based fan platforms, the new era of fan engagement thrives on emotional resonance, real-time responsiveness, and immersive experiences.

My name is Susie. I am a writer and Media Service Product Manager. I work with startups across the globe to build real-time communication solutions using SDK and APIs.

If you want to discover the AI-driven personalized communication, welcome to contact us.