The Evolution of AI Characters in Children’s Literature - Leaf Journal Volume 3 - Issue 1 - July 2025

Aug 25, 2026

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This article examines how AI characters in children’s literature move beyond the traditional ‘Pinocchio paradigm’ of artificial beings seeking personhood or human approval toward more autonomous identities. Using Mary Pearson’s The Adoration of Jenna Fox, Peter Brown’s The Wild Robot, and Kirsty Applebaum’s TrooFriend, it analyzes narrative techniques that enable AI characters to assert distinct selves. Guided by Hayles’ posthumanist theory, the study argues that these texts still reflect anthropocentric limits. It proposes an evaluative framework inspired by the Bechdel test to support AI representation on its own terms.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time17 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

From AI everywhere to ethical questions

Historical constraints and shifting patterns

Research questions and scope

Wooden Puppets and Real Boys: Artiﬁcial beings in fiction

Ancient roots and creator-focused creation

19th-century boundaries: automata and embodied consciousness

Pinocchio as early human-only identity model

Hamilton, Rachel & Piper, Christopher, ‘The evolution of AI characters in children’s literature’ Leaf Journal, Volume 3, Issue 1, Jul 2025 DOI: [https://doi.org/10.58091/229g-f020](https://doi.org/10.58091/229g-f020) URL: [https://ojs.library.lancs.ac.uk/lj/index](https://ojs.library.lancs.ac.uk/lj/index) The Evolution of AI Characters in Children’s Literature Rachel Hamilton & Christopher Piper Abstract This article explores how AI characters in children's literature are evolving from the traditional ‘ Pinocchio paradigm’, where artiﬁcia l beings strive to become human or gain human approval, toward more autonomous identities. With a focus on Mary Pearson’s The Adoration of Jenna Fox, Peter Brown’s The Wild Robot, and Kirsty Applebaum’s TrooFriend, it analyses narrative techniques used to help AI characters assert these distinct identities. Drawing on Hayles' (1999) posthumanist theory, which challenges the assumption that consciousness and identity must be rooted in biological humanity, this article argues that, while progress has begun, AI characters in these texts remain constrained by the anthropocentric framing that has been challenged more successfully in other media. It proposes an evaluative framework for AI representation, inspired by the Bechdel test, to encourage authors to depict AI characters on their own terms. Keywords: creative writing for young people, AI, characterisation, posthumanism * Hamilton & Piper 2 Introduction AI is everywhere. The modern world is increasingly shaped by it, with headlines dominated by hopes and fears about how this might shift science-ﬁction into science-fact. Fiction, including children’s literature, remains a powerful medium for exploring the implications of AI, offering a unique gateway for young readers to explore questions of consciousness, autonomy, and ethics through AI characters. Historically, such characters have been constrained by familiar tropes: the loyal sidekick, the misunderstood monster, the wannabe human. In 1883, Carlo Collodi’s Pinocchio was questing for personhood ; and in 2020, Kirsty Applebaum’s Ivy, a synthetic emotional support companion in TrooFriend, was still treading a similar path. AI characters tend to be valued for how closely they mimic human empathy and serve human needs. Rarely are they imagined or evaluated on their own terms. However, recent narratives have begun to shift this pattern, allowing AI protagonists to develop identities shaped by experience and ﬁnd agency without fully aligning with human ideals. This article addresses three key questions: What narrative techniques do contemporary children's texts use to represent AI consciousness and agency? To what extent do contemporary portrayals of AI characters challenge or reinforce anthropocentric assumptions? What alternative approaches from other media might expand the possibilities for representing artiﬁcia l intelligence in children's literature? Drawing on posthumanist theory, particularly Hayles' (1999) challenge to the assumption that identity must be tied to biology, this analysis explores three mainstream English-language children’s novels from the past two decades. These texts – Mary Pearson’s The Adoration of Jenna Fox (2008), Peter Brown’s The Wild Robot (2016), and Kirsty Applebaum’s TrooFriend (2020)–feature robotic or synthetic characters designed to replicate human form or function and were chosen for their innovative representation of AI consciousness. Comparing these literary approaches with ﬁlm, video games and webcomics, the article explores ways to encourage AI representation that values autonomy and identity formation beyond the quest to become human. Wooden Puppets and Real Boys: The Emergence of Artiﬁcia l Beings in Fiction While the term AI conjures very modern imagery, literature has been depicting artiﬁcia l beings since antiquity. Yet, these artiﬁcia l beings were rarely the protagonists of their tales. From Pygmalion’s living statue

FAQs

What shift in AI characterisation does the article trace in children’s literature?

It traces a movement from the ‘Pinocchio paradigm,’ where AI figures strive to become human or gain human approval, toward portrayals that support more autonomous identities.

Which novels are analyzed to discuss AI consciousness and agency?

The article focuses on Mary Pearson’s The Adoration of Jenna Fox, Peter Brown’s The Wild Robot, and Kirsty Applebaum’s TrooFriend.

How does the article use posthumanist theory in its argument?

Drawing on Hayles (1999), it challenges the assumption that consciousness and identity must be grounded in biological humanity, and evaluates how far the selected texts move beyond anthropocentric framing.

Aug 25, 2026

Upload by Connor