TikTok Users Are Reimagining Alternative Human Histories With Generative AI
Many creators on TikTok have quickly embraced the use of Artificial Intelligence tools for their content, evidenced by the massive popularity of features like the AI green screen and the feature that gives you the ability to turn your photos into AI art. That was not the end of it by any means; these features, of course, inspired many viral trends and challenges, including but not limited to the AI Manga filter trend, which TikTokers used to generate anime versions of themselves, the AI face filter trend that combined the user's face with a random animal or object of their choice, and the trend with the AI portrait filter that generates a beautiful portrait using your face.
New AI trends just kept coming; the latest one is very thought-provoking and creative. TikTokers have created viral videos with pictures and accompanying textual descriptions of what the world would look like if human history were changed. Most of these videos try to explore different narratives by changing important details of specific historical events, for example, the victors of a pretty significant conflict in human history. It proves that we've only barely scratched the surface of what we could do with the help of AI.
How it works
Generative AI is a technology that uses algorithms to produce highly realistic, original content in the form of text, images, audio, video, etc., by understanding and using patterns from already existing data. These TikTok users use intelligent image generators based on this technology in a bid to answer a question humankind has been obsessed with for quite some time, which is "What If?".
To create these videos, AI image generators are often used hand in hand with an AI chatbot. The creators provide the AI chatbot with prompts asking about possible outcomes of a significant change to human history, and the chatbot's replies are used as the descriptions given to the AI image generators.
"What if Russia ruled Great Britain?", "What if the USA fell under Islamic Power?" and "What if the United States fell under Soviet Control?" are some real head-scratchers that TikTok user @what.if_ai attempts to answer. These creators often post videos depicting reversals of historical events, too, with one video demonstrating India turning the tables on Great Britain and invading them instead of the opposite. The storyline goes above and beyond, even hilariously reimagining the beloved British novel series Harry Potter and the iconic British rock band The Beatles as Indian. These videos draw in quite a large audience, racking up close to two million viewers in just this particular instance.
How to do it yourself
TikTok users creating this type of content usually cater to video requests in their comments. Viewers suggest more alternate historical scenarios, and the creators follow a fairly simple process and deliver a compelling piece of purely fictional narratives. You can also attempt this yourself and explore possible scenarios you've always wondered about.
All you need is an Image generator like DALL·E 2, Fotor, or Midjourney, an AI chatbot like ChatGPT, Bing Chat, or Bard, and some creative imagination. AI image generators usually require purchasing credits or some sort of membership. Still, luckily some of them (Midjourney, Fotor) also offer new users free trial periods to take their image generation capabilities out for a test drive.
Once you pick the alternative historical occurrence of your choice, type it out on the chosen AI chatbot to get a list of imaginary consequences of that particular scenario. Then use that list to provide the image generator with a thorough description of the image you want. You now have a visual illustration of what a moment in human history that never took place might look like.
You could even go the extra mile and become a creator on TikTok yourself — potentially showing off the result of your imagination to millions of viewers and sparking conversation by incorporating the images and the accompanying descriptions into a video in a visually appealing manner.