You haven’t slept in 10 years. Will you sleep in a pearl bed, a lava bed, or a marshmallow bed? Chronically online individuals encounter this dilemma almost every doomscrolling episode. These absurd beds are, of course, AI-generated. As the woman in the video climbs into the bed, the pastel-colored marshmallows morph and deform in ways unexplainable by real physics. The woman then sinks through the marshmallow blanket directly, tucking herself in while disturbingly viscous, sloshy noises loop in the background. However, these squelchy, ridiculous noises conceal AI’s invasion of all aspects of human creativity. AI ASMR fundamentally betrays the very purpose of ASMR while simultaneously creating heaps of unnecessary waste, all for the sake of mediocre stimulation.
ASMR is a tingling sensation across the scalp that occurs in response to specific triggering audio and visual stimuli. It was initially intended as a medium to help viewers relieve stress and even fall asleep. In essence, ASMR is supposed to induce calmness. This is reflected through the common methods, or “triggers,” ASMRtists use for their videos. Slow scratches, methodical taps, and soft whispering are recurring elements in ASMR videos.
More complex videos involve interactive elements, such as roleplay scenarios in which ASMRtists simulate a perspective where the viewer is directly in front of them. Common scenarios in these second-person videos include the ASMRtists styling the viewer’s hair, applying the viewer’s makeup, or even performing a dental surgery on the viewer. A video titled “ASMR Girl who is Obsessed with you does your makeup in class (You’re PERFECT)” has 2.6 million views on YouTube. The video features the ASMRtist bringing the viewer coffee, buying the viewer concert tickets, and showering the viewer with compliments about their appearance. One user commented that “if this girl was my friend in high school, she’d literally have me wrapped around her finger.”
Viewers consume ASMR content not only for its sounds but also for the simulation of human intimacy. Slow triggers and whispers create a sense of familiarity and safety, while more intricate roleplay videos fill a gap of emotional affinity for many. In fact, a study even postulates that the reason ASMR is so satisfying is that the “high degree of intimacy” exhibited in ASMR triggers is “exclusively limited to romantic relationships” in Western society.
Therefore, the addition of AI into ASMR videos completely betrays the purpose of ASMR. Most AI ASMR videos feature clashing colors and bizarre scenarios. The aforementioned AI beds are the perfect example, featuring an agitating variety of colors and implausible graphics. These elements only overstimulate the viewer, missing the fundamental calm of ASMR.
Another infamous scenario in AI ASMR, the niche fruit, is uncanny to say the least. Niche fruit videos consist of various AI-generated fruit babies munching on smaller versions of themselves, with the sound of the fruit chewing intended as the ASMR stimulus. The most iconic niche fruit is a shiny apple, and it stares straight back at the viewer with its whiteless eyes while being fed a piece of itself. The dark background, the infantilization of inanimate objects, and the borderline cannibalism all evoke an eerie atmosphere that is unsettling instead of calming.
Furthermore, the soullessness in these videos from the AI-generated elements is evident. The unrealistic physics of the bed videos and the general creepiness of the niche fruit all constantly remind viewers that the content they are watching lacks a human ASMRtist behind the screen creatively lulling them to sleep. Instead, what they are watching was mass-generated by a lifeless model without the ability to simulate intimacy.
Despite its low quality, AI ASMR levies a hefty price on the environment. Generative AI involves training and processing that utilizes an amount of electricity that is incomparable to other digital activities. If AI data centers were ranked amongst countries in terms of electricity consumption, they would be ranked 11th, currently consuming more electricity than the entire nation of France. By 2026, data centers are expected to be ranked fifth, consuming more energy than Russia. Moreover, video generation requires 2000 times the amount of energy needed to generate a text response. Generating just one ten-second video is equivalent to running a TV for 37 minutes. The massive impact AI has on the environment is not a worthy tradeoff, considering the dreary qualities of AI ASMR videos. With 4.5 million ASMR videos already on YouTube, generating even more low-quality content is unnecessary.
The outlandish plot and quality of AI ASMR videos cause us to ignore the underlying impacts on ASMRtists and our environment. If the price we have to pay for niche fruit is an exhausted planet, niche fruit should probably stay niche.
