A new bombshell has just entered the villa. He's 24-years-old from Barcelona, and he's a plum. That's not a figure of speech. He's a plum - like the fruit. And that's just one piece of TikTok's newest obsession, an AI-generated series called Fruit Love Island.
Launched less than a month ago, Fruit Love Island is perhaps the first super viral show created entirely by generative AI. It's designed to mirror the hit ITV reality dating show Love Island, but instead of people on the island, the characters are talking fruit.
The plum from Barcelona is named Plumero. There's also Watermelina, a watermelon, a banana named Bananito, and Cherrita, who is a cherry. Posted daily on TikTok, the nonsensical one-minute-long episodes featuring this juicy cast have attracted hundreds of millions of viewers in a matter of weeks. They've also brought 3.3 million followers to the anonymous account that posts them: ai.cinema021.
It's dividing people online. Many say it's yet another example of low quality AI slop churned out by faceless accounts. But the videos still have gained a serious and dedicated fanbase. Celebrities like singers Joe Jonas and Zara Larsson say they have tuned in to the viral series.
Like in Love Island, the characters compete for a chance to couple up and stay on the island, leading to arguments, romances, breakups, and even physical brawls in each episode - all against a backdrop that's uncannily similar to scenes from Love Island.
While ITV, the studio that created Love Island, has not commented, the mystery creator of Fruit Love Island revealed that several episodes were removed by TikTok for unclear reasons but have since been offered on YouTube.
Some former cast members of Love Island USA have voiced their opinions about the show. Amaya Espinal, who starred in the seventh season, expressed her distaste for the AI fruit re-creation, stating, I would never watch Fruit Island. Meanwhile, fans on TikTok are actively engaging, voting for their favorite fruit couple and eagerly anticipating new episodes.
Although Fruit Love Island is the most viral example, it is not the first show to be recreated in this manner. Other spinoffs include Fruit Paternity Court and The Summer I Turned Fruity.
Critics argue that AI-generated content of this nature preys on shortening attention spans and lacks substance, while proponents defend the effort that goes into crafting each episode. Amidst this ongoing discourse, Fruit Love Island continues to capture the imagination of audiences worldwide.
