A young, history-loving influencer named Chloe has quickly gained a huge following on TikTok.
However, it has been revealed that the account is a product of artificial intelligence, and the human source is much different than what viewers see on-screen.
Sky News uncovered that Chloe of the popular Chloe VS History TikTok account (@chloe.vs.history) is actually the brainchild of a British millennial named Jonathan Laramy.
Chloe portrays herself on social media as "just a girl from LA lost in history." The videos follow a fresh format that hooks viewers by going back in time with the help of AI, bringing the audience into memorable moments or even alerting contemporaneous figures about incoming disasters.
However, Laramy freely admitted that the whole thing is a facade with good intentions, and Chloe is not a real person.
A history buff, he started the account in February, per Sky News. Laramy's use of Chloe was a creative way for him to bring more personality into history and make it more compelling.
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"History is a little bit dry in general on YouTube and other places," he said in a Fox News interview. "I think it just needed a bit of freshening up — and having a personality always helps on social media."
There's no doubt that Laramy's strategy is working. The account boasts 80,000 followers, and numerous videos have surpassed 1 million views. What might be a little more questionable is whether the use of AI in this context is a positive move, even with the goal of educating viewers.
Brendan Gillis, the American Historical Association's director of teaching and learning, was on board with the concept.
"Any technology or tool that can help engage wider audiences and younger audiences in learning about the past can be really valuable," he told Yahoo News.
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But there are downsides to relying on AI. For one thing, it could stifle human creativity or replace human work, with such fears extending all the way to Hollywood.
It can also create AI slop or hallucinations to fill input gaps, resulting in misinformation or a churn of low-value content. AI also has high energy and water needs, which can strain the energy grid and water supplies. This significantly affects communities located near data centers.
Viewers had a wide range of reactions, demonstrating the different considerations at play. One Instagram user praised the content as "amazingly done and smart," while others implored the community to support non-AI historians.
The big takeaway might be that Chloe is a gateway to learning more and diving deeper into history. But if viewers are just captivated by the visuals and the AI avatar, they could miss many of the most valuable and enriching aspects of learning. Still, even generating curiosity is a positive that Chloe and Laramy are undeniably achieving.
"It's really great and important that people have an appetite for learning more about history," Gillis told Yahoo News.
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