This Absurd Livestream Experiment Shows Terrible AI-Generated Seinfeld Episodes 24/7
Technology is evolving faster than ever with artificial intelligence leading the pack. Products like ChatGPT have seemingly sprung up overnight and threaten to change many industries as we know them. Entertainment is no exception — in fact, we've already seen the sometimes controversial use of seemingly magical technology to do things like age-regress actors, put deceased actors into new movies (via The Guardian), and even conduct concerts with the holograms of artists who are no longer with us. If deepfake apps are any indication, it's only a matter of time before the average person will be able to use this technology to change the way they consume and enjoy their favorite movies and TV shows.
It may one day be possible to generate new episodes of a TV series that is no longer in production, for example. Both studios and actors would likely have some strong feelings about such a capability, but that won't stop consumers from generating what will essentially be the next evolution of fan fiction, only in video form. Though we're not quite at that technological tipping point yet, there's already evidence of the concept in the wild, and it comes in the form of terrible AI-generated "Seinfeld" episodes.
An AI is creating new Seinfeld episodes, but don't get too excited
Head over to the Twitch account "Watch Me Forever," and you'll be graced with a highly saturated, blocky animation based on "Seinfeld" sitcom episodes. These episodes aren't canon, as you'd expect, and they're also not very good. The animation quality itself is quite basic, but more to the point, the AI seems to have failed at understanding any aspect of the humor found in "Seinfeld," instead churning out dry, humorless quips complete with computer-generated voices.
According to the Twitch account profile, the generated "Seinfeld" content is the brainchild of Mismatch Media, a self-described "media lab focused on creating experimental forms" of popular formats like games and TV shows. The AI-generated show, which is titled "Nothing, Forever" based on the "show about nothing" premise that underpins the actual "Seinfeld" TV show, is set up to run non-stop every day of the year. Though the AI won't satisfy your cravings for new "Seinfeld" episodes, it does hint at a future in which such manifestations will ultimately be possible, and that's what's so interesting about it.