A 40-second AI-generated mockumentary imagining tech billionaires Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Sam Altman in 2036 has propelled Belgian agency Aicandy into the global spotlight.
The video, which depicts an ageing trio reflecting on the rise of AI in a future where 80% of the population is unemployed, presents a dystopian scenario in which jobless citizens are repurposed as an energy source for a fictional company called Energym. Its deadpan tone has struck a chord online.
Within 48 hours, the original Instagram post had racked up more than five million views, over 100,000 likes and roughly half a million shares. Additional views across other platforms have pushed the total even higher.
The project was created by Aicandy founders Hans Buyse and Jan De Loore as a side venture alongside their regular advertising work.
"We expected it to go viral, but not to this extent," Buyse told De Standaard.
Buyse also explained to De Standaard that the idea had been in development for about a year. The concept was revisited during a quieter week and refined to incorporate contemporary themes such as the fitness craze, the growing power of tech giants and concerns over white-collar job losses.
The first cut of the video ran to two minutes. Achieving realistic imagery proved to be the biggest technical challenge.
"We used several tools and sometimes had to render scenes up to 30 times," Buyse said to De Standaard, adding that careful editing helped refine the final product. He credited De Loore with crafting the AI prompts.
Producing a full project of this kind still takes around a month, he added, although the technology is evolving rapidly.
Despite the capabilities of AI, Buyse reminded that human creativity remains central.
"AI can help, but it cannot come up with a strong idea on its own. Much of what we see in advertising is mediocre, and AI does not automatically change that. Human creativity will become even more valuable," he told the Flemish daily newspaper.
Since the video was posted, Aicandy has received around 100 new enquiries, ranging from major advertising agencies to private individuals asking about the cost of producing viral content.
"We will have to hire people," Buyse said, noting the need to respond quickly to new opportunities.
According to the duo, the company has also been contacted by creatives offering their services from countries including the United States and Ukraine, as it considers expanding its team to meet demand.
