A few weeks ago, I shared an AI music video. It seemed noteworthy at the time because even though the music and video were AI-generated, the result felt surprisingly human.
Here’s a question for you …
Once AI can convincingly create art, what meaningful work is left uniquely for humans?
That’s the central tension in this mockumentary-style ad for Energym. Click below to watch. It was clever … and mildly unsettling in its plausibility.
The Energym parody imagines a 2036 where humans have lost their sense of purpose. So what do they do? Exercise so hard that they generate the energy needed for the very AI that took their jobs. The video features cameos from Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Sam Altman (well, at least their 10-years-older personages).
Energym is funny because it’s not as far from reality as we’d like — and it quietly says something important about our evolving relationship with AI.
Ironically, there is a real Energym exercise bike designed for fitness and energy production (though I assume it’s unrelated). When a parody and a product look this similar … it’s hard to tell whether it’s a cautionary tale or a potential roadmap.
Good humor is often rooted in truth. Perhaps healthy dystopian fears are, too.
When Satire Starts To Feel Real
Obviously, satire is tongue-in-cheek and often exaggerates real fears. Expect to see more content poking fun at our growing dependence on artificial intelligence.
The Energym video was produced by Hans Buyse and Jan De Loore. De Loore, who authored the script, edited, and produced the video, is also a cofounder of Kitchhock, a solo AI creative studio based in Belgium. De Loore also applies his creative expertise and the latest generative video AI technology to produce real advertisements for Belgian companies through his AI video studio, AiCandy.
AI as an Amplifier, Not a Replacement
To me, this video shows where AI truly excels: helping you bring new, unusual ideas to life that would have been hard or expensive to produce before.
I’ve seen an explosion of creative work built with new AI tools, and for the most part, that’s great. The danger is letting them automate away your own creativity and critical thinking instead of amplifying them.
If you do decide to let it replace you, at least you might get ripped in the process.
Onwards.
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