Meet the Ai Character custom built for the new world of hyper-media entertainment.
Bruce Ryder is a world-first in hyper-media entertainment: the first AI character designed not only for content, but to collaborate with his audience. Created by Miss Em, Bruce represents a critical turning point in the evolution of storytelling, where generative AI, interactive media, and audience agency converge to create a new kind of storyline. Originally developed as a brand ambassador for a men’s body care range Ducks Nuts Balls in 2024, Bruce emerged from a single illustration and was built over 2 years into a fully interactive character, capable of co-creating his own storyline in real time.
Where most AI influencers and characters are passive avatars or static visuals, Bruce breaks the 5th wall entirely. His story is not written for followers to consume but is written with them. He adapts, responds via agentic hotline, DM’s and emails, blurring the lines between character, show host, and collaborator. In 2025, Bruce became the first AI character to co-present live on stage with Miss Em at the Gold Coast Convention Centre, an industry-first moment that exemplified his role as a true media partner rather than a digital gimmick.
Since then, Bruce has starred in licensed AI films, launched his own merchandise line, sold product and created The Bruce Ryder Show, a genre-defying, fan-driven online series where viewers become narrative participants.
His feature biopic, WILD Card: The Bruce Ryder Story, was co-written with his community of fans, using real-time input to shape the arc of his origin story.
In recognition of his innovation and cultural impact, Bruce was named Best AI Influencer of 2025 at the Australian AI Festival. His existence signals a paradigm shift: away from static content and toward participatory world-building, where audiences don’t just consume, they create.
WORLD BUILDING
From the metaverse to merchandise. The Bruce Ryder merch range was launched at the released of the bio pic short film: WILD CARD, The Bruce Ryder Story.
When the infamous mug shot was released as a graphic tee for a competition winner, demand from fans and followers led to a wider drop. Designed for modern oversized trends, the Bruce Ryder merch line now extends across tees, tracksuits, and accessories. SHOP THE RANGE HERE
Bruce Ryder isn’t trying to replace traditional storytelling like film or art, he’s the evolution of it, made possible by generative AI.
It’s allowed us to merge interactive gaming with the connective tissue that made early social media so powerful, before it became passive.
SEE THE PRODUCTION NOTES ON THE MAKING OF BRUCE
Produced by: Emma Barbato/ Miss Em. Launched April 2024.
Tech Stack: VEO, Kling Ai, Hedra, Nano Banana, Veed and Midjourney
Hotline Voice Agent: Produced by Halim Alrasihi. The AI Agency.
Official Website + Merch: bruceryder.com
Follow on: @bruceryder.ai