What if you found out your favorite Bama Rush Influencer was AI?

‘Janie B.’ makes her case to rush at The University of Alabama. Photo courtesy of @janie.b086 via TikTok

Straight Arrow News
Last week a technology investor posed a question: “Your Favorite Creator Isn’t Real—Does it Matter?”

Olivia Moore, who works at the venture fund Andreessen Horowitz, pitched this question to the internet after she virtually joined the viral “Bama Rush” TikTok trend — the now-annual internet tradition during which would-be sorority sisters at the University of Alabama immortalize their rush experiences for the public (and introduce non-Southerners to “Enewton” bracelets).

Because Moore isn’t a college student, she couldn’t actually rush. So she created a fake influencer called “Janie B” using a range of different AI video generation platforms, and sent her to rush instead. Janie wore cute outfits, became entangled in interpersonal drama and danced alongside other Greek-life hopefuls, much like a regular Bama rushee.

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