Content creators are using artificial intelligence to re-create lifelike scenes from past centuries, mesmerizing viewers online—but do their creations really help us see into the past?
Jonathan Laramy, 31, from England, runs a TikTok account dedicated to AI content called @impossibleAIcinema. On October 22, he posted a video depicting the hardships of living in poverty in 19th-century London. The clip shows people waking up in poorly insulated homes, working in rough conditions at factories and wandering through dirt-ridden alleyways in rags. The video has garnered more than 3.4 million views, captivating digital audiences with its hauntingly realistic portrayal of a bygone era.
The viral success of Laramy’s clips underscores a growing fascination with AI-generated historical content, which many see as a tool to enhance our understanding of history in a novel and engaging way.
“I wanted to expand my reach and broaden out to history in general,” Laramy told Newsweek. “My idea was to re-create historical scenes in …