What’s the Antithesis of ASMR? This Trending AI Clip May Be It

If ASMR calms your senses, this may evoke the complete opposite.

A strange and disconcerting video dubbed “You Are What You Eat” is gaining traction on Reddit’s r/aivideo subreddit — and it’s tough to look away. The AI-crafted clip showcases bizarre scenes of individuals composed entirely of food, consuming the very items they are created from. Imagine a sushi man indulging in a sushi roll, or a yogurt-bodied figure scooping up a bowl of yogurt.

The viral clip, which you can view in its entirety on Reddit, is both captivating and unsettling:

Watch “You Are What You Eat 3” on Reddit

The video serves as a compilation of the work by abstract visual creator Bennett Waisbren, who frequently posts his art on Instagram and YouTube. In a message to Mashable, Waisbren shared that the impetus behind these eerie visuals stems from mukbang culture — the internet phenomenon of individuals consuming large amounts of food on screen — and ASMR.

“The series emerged from my intrigue with viral mukbang culture and ASMR,” Waisbren stated. “I enjoy combining hyper-real imagery with rich soundscapes, making the fusion of the two seem instinctive.”

As AI video platforms like OpenAI’s Sora and Character.AI’s AvatarFX keep advancing, their application in the arts remains a contentious topic. The discussion around AI-generated art continues, raising questions about originality, ethics, and artistic integrity.

Waisbren’s creations delve into these conflicts with a sinister spin on the classic phrase, “you are what you eat.”

“These works humorously twist the saying, adding a visceral, almost body-horror element that highlights the contemporary allure of gluttony,” he commented. “My aim is to produce visuals that impact immediately and compel viewers to reflect on their intricate relationship with food.”

If you’re intrigued (and daring), you can delve into more of the “You Are What You Eat” series on Waisbren’s YouTube channel. Just a heads up: the sound design is as powerful as the imagery. Approach with caution.