ai_sponge was[citation needed] a Twitch, Kick, and YouTube channel that used artificial intelligence (AI) to generate livestream content featuring characters from the animated SpongeBob SquarePants franchise.[1][2][3][4][5][6] The livestream, which launched on 5 March 2023,[7][3][4] used 3D models of SpongeBob characters within Unity and Uberduck AI-generated voices based on the show's voice actors.[7] Viewers could prompt the character's conversation topics through the channel's Discord server, which often led to inappropriate results.[citation needed] On 26 July 2023, ai_sponge was officially discontinued as a result of multiple copyright strikes and the discontinuation of public Uberduck voices.[citation needed]
| ai_sponge | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | |
| Created by | JAZZA |
| Inspired by | SpongeBob SquarePants Nothing, Forever |
| Country of origin | Australia |
| Original language | English |
| Original release | |
| Network | Twitch, YouTube, Kick |
| Release | 5 March – 26 July 2023 |
History
editThe channel was created in the wake of the success of Nothing, Forever, a Twitch channel that streams an AI-generated sitcom based on Seinfeld which never ends.[7][1][2][5] The ai_sponge channel quickly gained popularity, garnering 48,000 followers within its 2-day run time before being banned permanently by Twitch.[7][4] The channel then relocated to several YouTube channels throughout March to July 2023.[7] Clips from the livestreams have since gone viral on YouTube and Twitter.[7]
On 26 July 2023, it was announced on the ai_sponge Discord server that the official livestreams would come to an end.[non-primary source needed] UberDuck, which provided the voices that were used by ai_sponge, had ended support for public user-contributed voices,[8] essentially making it impossible to continue the project.[citation needed] Additionally, JAZZA had begun to lose interest in the stream due to it beginning to decline in popularity following the continuous moving of the streams due to copyright claims.[citation needed] Multiple attempts were made to continue the ai_sponge project using new assets, such as AI Sponge Rebooted (later AI Sponge Rehydrated), which added more characters and features and used AI text-to-speech voices from FakeYou, a different website.[citation needed]
Reception
editThe ai_sponge channel has been praised for its comedic value and criticized for its explicit content.[6] The viewer-prompted topics often involved the SpongeBob characters saying wildly inappropriate and out of character conversations, such as SpongeBob revealing to Patrick a diagnosis of testicular cancer, or the characters discussing their existence within the Matrix.[6][7][5]
The channel has also inspired numerous other AI-generated livestreams, including ai_Peter, which livestreams AI content based on Family Guy.[9] ai_Sponge has also led to a trend on YouTube that consists of using AI-generated voices, primarily of SpongeBob characters, to sing popular songs.[10][11]
The rise and popularity of artificially generated livestreams has raised several legal questions, including whether Nothing, Forever, ai_sponge, ai_Peter, and The Simulation qualify as copyright infringement.[7][12]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "AI SpongeBob: The Impact of AI Seinfeld". Global Village Space.
- ^ a b "AI SpongeBob Twitch Stream: AI Seinfeld". IndieWire. 24 March 2023.
- ^ a b "SpongeBob SquarePants is now on Twitch with AI-generated parody stream". Dexerto. 7 March 2023.
- ^ a b c "SpongeBob is the latest beloved franchise to get the Twitch AI treatment but it's all gone wrong". Dot Esports. 8 March 2023.
- ^ a b c "AI SpongeBob: Absurdly hilarious or hilariously absurd?". Dataconomy. 12 June 2023.
- ^ a b c "AI SpongeBob Stream Derails, Characters Are Obsessed With Sex". TheGamer. 11 March 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "What is AI SpongeBob?". Dot Esports. 9 March 2023.
- ^ "A new voice hosting policy for Uberduck". Uberduck. Archived from the original on 15 October 2023.
- ^ Geraghty, Hollie (16 June 2023). "AI-generated 'Family Guy' livestream banned after making a bomb threat". NME. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
- ^ "Bikini Bottom Records: Our Favorite SpongeBob Covers Thanks To AI Technology". Global Grind. 11 July 2023. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
- ^ "The Man Making A.I. SpongeBob Covers of Emo Songs". Cracked.com. 27 May 2023. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
- ^ Xing, Peter (30 July 2023). "The Simulation: All A.I. Generated South Park Episodes + The Paper". Medium. Retrieved 31 July 2023.