Member-only story
Beyond the Likeness: AI, Legacy, and the Person Behind the Persona
A closer look at TikTok, creative expression, and the cultural conversations sparked by a viral moment.
There's something interesting about the way a moment can take off on TikTok. One day, someone is creating and entertaining an audience. The next, thousands of people are watching, sharing, and forming opinions. Suddenly, what started as an individual creative expression becomes a much bigger conversation.
Recently, I found myself thinking about a TikTok creator whose AI portrayal of Michael Jackson has attracted a lot of attention. I wasn't there for the viral moment on Saturday, but I'd seen him in an earlier live, including a moment when he caught Tiffany Haddish's attention. That gave me a glimpse of the potential for his work to reach beyond his existing audience.
What interests me isn't just that an AI portrayal of Michael Jackson caught people's attention. It's what went into the performance and what we can learn from the response. What makes something resonate with an audience? How much of that response comes from the technology, and how much comes from the person using it? What happens when a beloved cultural icon becomes part of a new form of digital entertainment?
