AI-generated videos have become so enhanced that it’s very easy to convince people that these clips are real. Take, for example, the recent viral airport kangaroo video. But what about the other side? What about those who claim their real videos are AI-generated? This might seem like a strange flex, but for some TikTokers, pretending their content is AI-generated is part of the gimmick.
According to Ars Technica, a number of musicians are pretending their content is AI-generated. One video, which has amassed 18,500 views, features a band playing in the corner of a living room. The clip is captioned “Google VEO 3 THIS IS 100% AI.” It also shares the purported prompt that “made” this video: “A band of brothers with beards playing rock music in 6/8 with an accordion.”
However, Ars Technica journalist Kyle Orland argued that it soon became apparent that the band were simply playing a song of theirs that’s 9 years old.
Bringing New Meaning to Fake It Until You Make It
This trend, in turn, seems to be especially popular with musicians and music-related videos. For example, rapper GameBoi Pat posted a video of him performing one of his own rap songs with the caption: “Google’s Veo 3 created a realistic sounding rapper… This has to be real. There’s no way it’s AI.”
Similarly, TikTok user Darden Bela claimed in a TikTok post that Veo 3 has “created a realistic AI music video,” when the clip was, in fact, a 2-year-old music video with additional effects.
Comedic TikTokers are also playing up the idea that they’re prompts. User thisisamurica, for instance, thanked their supposed prompters for putting in “a world with such delicious food.” He then pretended to choke.
So, what’s the reason for all this? Well, the world is deeply fascinated with AI right now, so playing into that angle gives their content a competitive edge. A video of a musician performing a song on TikTok, for instance, is far from unique. However, the algorithm might reward that video if they think it’s an AI prompt rather than just someone turning the camera on.
They say that AI is coming for TikToker’s jobs. At least this way, creators can fight back against the machine, even if it means pretending to be one.
