AI-Generated WWE Videos: The Future of Entertainment

Meet Nigel Richards, an extraordinary professional Scrabble player hailing from New Zealand. His cognitive abilities set him apart from the average person, enabling him to achieve remarkable victories in world championships held in languages he does not speak, such as Spanish and French. The way he approaches game strategy might seem only marginally human, as he appears to have transcended the traditional understanding of a “word.” To illustrate this, take a moment to watch:

Richards seems to have completely abstracted the concept of a “word,” transforming his mind into a finely-tuned engine that arranges tiles with varying values into sequences that lead to victory. His unique approach exemplifies the intersection of intellect and game theory, showcasing the potential of the human brain to excel in competitive environments.

In today’s digital landscape, where platforms like YouTube dominate as the world’s largest entertainment provider, the content ecosystem operates much like a Scrabble board. This algorithm-driven platform curates user-generated content that aligns with your preferences, often before you even recognize your interests. In this context, a series of WWE YouTube documentaries, seemingly crafted with glitchy AI tools, might represent a primitive digital version of Nigel Richards. These systems might not grasp the intended meaning of video discovery but excel at creating content that garners views and engagement through sheer exploitation of algorithms.

The specific YouTube videos in question, reportedly discovered by Sam Blye, a game designer and artist known as ompuco, have gained significant traction on Bluesky within the last day.

These videos purport to cover WWE plotlines and real-world drama, but the narration often takes a bizarre turn, resembling a transient ischemic attack. The narrator frequently emphasizes words like “what,” “whoa,” and “like,” as if struggling to maintain composure on an exaggeratedly long rug being pulled from beneath him. This odd verbal journey sometimes devolves into grunts and unsettling sounds that mimic distress. Initially, it may seem amusing, but as the narration continues, you are left listening to bizarre sounds for extended periods, sometimes lasting over ten minutes.

This peculiar pattern has not gone unnoticed. Other YouTube users have pointed out that a number of videos from this user showcase similar glitches, which may stem from the pronunciation challenges surrounding “WWE.”

Moreover, various YouTube accounts are generating comparable videos exhibiting the same oddities:

It is noteworthy that Allex Wellerstein, a scholar specializing in nuclear war scenarios, aptly recognized the significance of this phenomenon, commenting on Bluesky, “Anyone who doesn’t want more of this is being LEFT BEHIND.”

As of now, the identity of the individuals behind these videos remains a mystery, along with the reasons why the voice generator malfunctions so drastically. The ongoing presence of these glitchy videos raises questions. According to Occam’s razor, it seems likely that someone is exploiting the YouTube algorithm, potentially using compromised accounts, and simply hoping to attract viewers through autoplay features.

One account that shares these videos previously uploaded personal content in Turkish around 18 years ago but then lay dormant. Recently, it resumed activity by posting WWE documentaries that can range from 20 minutes to over an hour, depending on how long the unsettling sounds linger, at a frequency of approximately one per day.

One insightful commenter on YouTube recognized the potential risks associated with these videos, cautioning others to “make sure to delete this from your watch history y’all.” It is striking that these glitchy videos have emerged as some of the most popular uploads from these creators. Although curiosity-driven clicks contribute to their view counts, those who endure the glitches for extended periods inadvertently signal to the algorithm and other users which sections are captivating, thus facilitating the path toward YouTube’s 4,000 watch-hour monetization threshold.

Importantly, no human creator or gatekeeper needs to monitor this process. The individual uploading these videos may be entirely oblivious to the glitches, yet they still reap the benefits of this unintended engagement.

We currently stand at the forefront of a new era where sloppy content is infiltrating our media consumption habits. The arguments against AI creating art in the year 2024 are compelling, yet they may ultimately be inconsequential. AI seems capable of producing disturbingly captivating yet low-quality content, liberated from the constraints of intention, which audiences will inevitably consume.