We are six months into the generative AI revolution. Already, tools like Sora and Runway produce deepfakes that look real. Soon, you will be able to type "a rom-com set in ancient Rome starring a young Harrison Ford" and an AI will generate a 90-minute movie. This will collapse the cost of entertainment content to near zero. But it will also flood the ecosystem with synthetic sludge.
News channels have realized that fear and anger are more "sticky" than calm analysis. Popular media has merged with political propaganda to the point where many Americans cannot distinguish between a news anchor and a late-night comedian. Both are performing. Both are optimizing for retention. xxxgaycom
Consider Squid Game . A Korean-language, hyper-local critique of capitalist debt became Netflix's biggest launch ever. Suddenly, Americans were reading subtitles voluntarily. Then came Lupin (French), Money Heist (Spanish), and Dark (German). We are six months into the generative AI revolution
Popular media has mastered the illusion of intimacy. When you listen to a podcast twice a week, the hosts feel like your friends. When a YouTuber looks directly into the lens and says "Hey, guys," your brain processes it as eye contact. We mourn the death of fictional characters as if we knew them. These para-social bonds drive loyalty and, crucially, revenue. This will collapse the cost of entertainment content
When you pull down to refresh Instagram, you don't know what you'll get—a friend's baby photo, a political rant, or a hilarious cat video. This unpredictability releases dopamine, the same neurotransmitter involved in gambling addiction. Binge-watching works the same way: the "Next Episode" auto-play feature removes friction, turning a one-hour commitment into a six-hour trance.