I used to think that I would never use Tiktok, but just like many others: I enjoy a bit of scrolling. Maybe a lot… I open the app, I start scrolling and suddenly an hour has passed. With every scroll and every second that I spend on Tiktok, it only feeds the data to the point that they know me a bit too well. My FYP does not just show what I like, it predicts what I will like next. However, with the current content that has taken over my FYP, I really wonder: Where are we going with all this new AI generated content?
It looked so real. “Did Jake actually do his own makeup?” My exact thoughts when I stumbled across the new Jake Paul videos. As OpenAI updated their Sora app, the AI generated content took my FYP over by storm. Not only were the visuals realistic, the voiceover also sounded exactly like him. The AI content started quite innocently. I didn’t mind watching bears jumping on a trampoline, but now it has evolved to actual human beings who are being modified for content. I can not help but ponder if the current technology is actually good for us. The possibilities with the new AI are endless, making it more and more difficult to draw the line between what’s authentic and synthetic.
Personally, it makes me feel a bit uneasy that this new content has become so accessible. Besides, I also want to reflect on what we actually see: what value do these videos actually give us? Do we actually get satisfaction out of this new kind of content? I think it is good to stay critical on how this new AI can actually enhance our lives. That being said, I am curious on how this will evolve and whether this will actually change our entertainment. Maybe the scariest part isn’t that AI is changing what we see, but that it is quietly changing what we expect to see.
Hey Michelle 🙂 I have to be honest, I clicked on your post because of the photo of Jake Paul with rainbow makeup and long acrylic nails. For a moment, I thought that I had missed a chapter, and he might’ve become a beauty influencer – who knows these days. I really enjoyed reading your reflection on the effect of AI on TikTok. It’s an app we use for hours on end every day, but we fail to assess the content we consume on it. I really liked your point about the actual value of this AI generated content. I’m genuinely scared about coming across a post and not realising it’s AI. It’s funny now when it comes to Jake Paul doing his makeup, but what happens once it involves more serious topics?
Hey Michelle, this is a very relevant topic. I have also seen the Jake Paul videos and found them quite entertaining. But I share your concerns about this new and easy to produce content. Last weeks, when scrolling through Instagram reels, I’ve encountered many AI generated video’s. I’m getting the feeling that the amount of AI generated video’s is increasing rapidly. Some AI video’s are easy to detect, but with the advancements in image/video generations, it is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish them from real content. This can be deduced from the comment sections with many users asking: ‘Is this AI?’. Especially when AI generated video’s involve more serious and controversial topics, this can be problematic. I’ve already encountered AI generated video’s that fake animal attacks on humans. I’m worried about what else people will post with AI tools like Sora.
Hi Michelle, this is a very relevant topic you wrote about. I had not yet come across these AI generated video’s of Jake Paul that you talk about in your blog, or maybe I did not notice them because I am used to seeing weird video’s on TikTok, which means that my expectations have already been altered. However, I have seen the video’s that Jake Paul posted in TikTok where he is jokingly saying that he is not pleased with the AI video’s, and he mentioned that it is effecting his relationship and businesses. Although he might not take the repercussions of the AI generated video’s very serious, AI generated video’s could potentially harm other influential people. As of the question you raised about how what value these video’s actually give us, I believe that these video’s were made for entertainment purposes. However, when people make AI generated video’s about, for instance, political figures, this could have a damaging effect on their reputation. It could even lead to people deciding to vote for someone or someone else during the elections, based on false statements in AI generated video’s, even though people might believe them to be real. This is something I am personally quite worried about. Finally, when thinking about my own experiences, I also try to be critical when looking at video’s on TikTok, which most of the time leads me to looking at the comment section to see if others press that the video is AI generated.