Fans and AI: Transformations in fandom and fan studies

AI, and especially generative AI, has intersected with fandom in specific ways as fans adopt new practices, scholars have access to additional research methods, and AI tech companies challenge existing concepts of open data, privacy, ownership, fairness, and exploitation. We identify potential areas of disruption to contemporary fandom and fan studies arising from the various uses of AI and suggest what the consequences might be for our understanding of ownership, legality, the fannish gift economy, and even creativity itself. These debates form the backdrop to the four articles and two symposium pieces in this special section, which each interrogate one aspect of the potential transformations that AI is bringing about in fandom and fan studies. We finish with an overview of the individual submissions, demonstrating the value of their contributions to fan studies and their relevance to wider discussions around the relationships between humans, technology, and creativity.