 |
Some of this article's listed sources may not be reliable. Please help improve this article by looking for better, more reliable sources. Unreliable citations may be challenged and removed. (July 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
|
| ai_sponge | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre |
|
| Created by | JAZZA |
| Based on | SpongeBob SquarePants |
| Country of origin | Australia |
| Original language | English |
| Original release | |
| Network | Twitch, YouTube, Kick |
| Release | March 5 (2023-03-05) – July 26, 2023 (2023-07-26) |
ai_sponge was[citation needed]aTwitch, 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 March 5, 2023,[7][8][3][4] used 3D models of SpongeBob characters within Unity and Uberduck AI-generated voices based on the show's voice actors.[9][7][8] Viewers could prompt the character's conversation topics through the channel's Discord server, which often led to inappropriate results.[9][10] On July 26, 2023, ai_sponge was officially discontinued as a result of multiple copyright strikes and a cease and desist from Paramount Global[citation needed] and the discontinuation of public Uberduck voices.[11]
The 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][8][4] The channel then relocated to several YouTube channels throughout March to July 2023.[7][8] Clips from the livestreams have since gone viral on YouTube and Twitter.[7][8]
On July 26, 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 public voice support,[11] 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]
The 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][8][5]
The channel has also inspired numerous other AI-generated livestreams, including ai_Peter, which livestreams AI content based on Family Guy.[12] 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.[13][14]
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][8][15]
|
| |
|---|---|
| Television series |
|
| Characters |
|
| Production |
|
| Episodes |
|
| Films |
|
| Albums |
|
| Other media |
|
| Attractions |
|
| Miscellaneous |
|
| |
