From Vaudeville to Viral Videos

Cultural Determinism in the Age of AI

This piece was originally published on LinkedIn on November 3, 2024. Since then, the conversation around AI and media has only intensified, with AI-generated influencers, interactive AI-driven entertainment, and platforms continuing to push the boundaries of digital performance. The parallels to vaudeville continue to resonate for me—just as variety acts once captivated audiences, today’s AI-powered creators (whether they are a vidtuber, an influencer, or even a podcaster) are reshaping what it means to perform, engage, and entertain. As continue to figure out Substack, I’d love to hear your thoughts. I will continue to move older content over daily for the next few weeks, then settle into a rhythm. At a minimum I’ll likely have at least one new piece per week to reflect on what I’m seeing and who I’m talking to.

thanks, AB.

As published on Linkedin.com:

Before diving into this article, I have to acknowledge that I’ve probably sat on this idea longer than any other project. This piece…