My social media feed has transformed into a bewildering parade of nonsensical AI-generated videos, from men dressed as pickles in car chases to other absurdities that never happened in reality. This is the new digital landscape we all navigate, whether we want to or not.
The Unwanted Job of AI Detective
Recently, a friend shared a hilarious video with me. It depicted a man in a pickle costume involved in a dramatic car chase, culminating in the pickle flinging itself from the vehicle and writhing on the tarmac. We laughed, but the humour was short-lived. I had to point out the uncomfortable truth: the entire scene was fabricated by artificial intelligence. My friend was both surprised and frustrated, lamenting the constant mental energy required to sift AI trash from genuine content.
This sentiment is increasingly common. Becoming an AI detective is a job I never wanted and wish I could quit. The core issues with generative AI are well-known: it's built on the theft of creative work, harms the environment, and is promoted by questionable figures. Yet, beyond these significant ethical concerns, the daily experience of encountering it is simply exhausting.
Trapped in an Algorithmic Nightmare
As a relatively tech-savvy person, I once believed I could always spot AI fakes. That confidence is eroding. Video-generation models are becoming frighteningly sophisticated, producing content with fewer obvious flaws like the classic AI body horror. This is compounded by the design of social media platforms, where users are encouraged to scroll quickly, leaving little time for a proper reality check. Scrolling through an algorithmically curated feed now feels like drowning in a soup of slop.
Here lies the cruel irony of the situation. The more time you spend scrutinising a video to determine if it's AI, the more similar content the algorithm will show you. Whether you watch it multiple times, leave an angry comment, or share it with a friend to express your disgust, these are all powerful engagement signals. The platform's algorithm interprets this activity as a desire for more of the same, trapping us in a feedback loop where even our hatred for this content fuels its proliferation.
Why This Inane Content Exists
It's one thing to understand the motive behind malicious deepfakes, such as political smears or non-consensual imagery. But why would anyone create a video of a pickle in a car chase? The answer is as simple as it is depressing: profit. This insipid and puerile AI content is engineered for virality. In the absurd logic of late-stage capitalism, reality can be a hindrance to revenue.
As journalist Jason Koebler argues, this material isn't truly made for human enjoyment. Its intended audience is the algorithm itself. The actual subject matter is irrelevant; what counts is the ability to mass-produce content, spam platforms, identify what triggers engagement, and monetise the process. The world's most powerful tech companies are enabling this onslaught, building tools to facilitate more AI generation because it benefits their business models, with little regard for how it degrades our online experience.
Perhaps it's stubborn to cling to a desire for reality in this digital age. But it still matters whether what we see is real. For now, we are left with no choice but to reluctantly pick up our digital magnifying glasses and continue the detective work we never signed up for.
