The Man Who Makes AI Slop by Hand

"Mu is not the only comedian who has tried to imitate the style of AI-generated videos, but he really nails all of the elements: The clumsy bodily movements, the spaced-out facial expressions, and the unpredictable plot development. Many viewers, me included, were shocked at how accurately he captured the essence of AI slop videos. Mu tells me that the half-dozen AI imitation videos he has filmed represent only a small part of his acting career."

"The success of his AI imitation videos earned him a sponsorship deal from a Chinese generative AI company, which paid him 80,000 RMB (about $11,000) to produce two more sketches promoting the company's video model. That's not a bad gig, but I honestly expected Mu to have received more opportunities through his global virality. As part of the sponsorship, Mu shot two versions of the sketches, one that embedded AI-generated footage and one without it."

"Mu popped up on my timeline again last week when he released a sequel to his first AI imitation series, this time mimicking the videos created by Sora, OpenAI's latest generative video tool. His new video is much more subtle but still manages to nail that unexplainably unsettling feeling that has endured even as AI videos become more advanced. Mu says there is a perpetual battle underway as AI accelerates, but it's not man versus machine."

Mu reproduces AI-generated video quirks with uncanny accuracy, capturing clumsy movements, spaced-out expressions, and erratic plot turns. Acting ambitions date to college, including background roles at Hengdian World Studios, and comedy sketching on Chinese social platforms since 2019 now occupies most of his time. A Chinese generative AI company paid 80,000 RMB for two promotional sketches; Mu filmed both AI-embedded and human-only versions, but the advertiser chose the AI version. Mu worries AI is beginning to displace actors. He released a subtler sequel mimicking OpenAI’s Sora and frames the conflict as humans versus other humans who build and deploy AI.

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