This AI trend lets TikTok users relive history’s best—and worst—moments

Ever wondered what it would be like to wake up in Pompei on eruption day? How about how it would have felt to be a passenger on the Titanic? Now you don’t need to. A new TikTok trend lets you travel back in time via artificial intelligence and experience the POV of someone living though that time period. 

From waking up as a caveman in 40 B.C. to being the last person on earth in 2087, many of the most viral videos have been posted by creator @timetravellerpov. “The inspiration behind my videos is the desire to bring history to life in a way that feels immersive,” @timetravellerpov tells Fast Company over email. “Each one is designed to transport viewers into different eras, myths, and alternate realities—making them feel like they’ve stepped into another world.” While the account posted its first video just at the start of this year, it has quickly grown to over 329,000 followers with over 5.7 million likes.

One viral example drops you in 1351 London during the Black Plague. The clip begins in bed before the POV takes you for a walk through the muddy streets. Here, everyone is sick and hungry. All you have left is a crust of bread, which you give to a beggar child. You visit your sick mother in the quarantine zone and try not to catch the deadly disease. Spoiler alert: It doesn’t end well.

Each video takes @timetravellerpov around four hours to bring to life. You can tell the content is AI because, obviously, cameras didn’t exist in the 14th Century. However, the content is realistic enough to receive over 18.6 million views and thousands of comments. “Shoutout to the camera man,” one person wrote. “The only right way to use ai,” another added. “I just died in pompeii now I’m here give me a break,” a third commented.

“I believe my videos have resonated with so many people because they tap into nostalgia, curiosity, and the desire to explore places and moments we could never otherwise experience,” says @timetravellerpov. “For me, it’s all about creating that ‘wow’ moment—where someone watches and says, ‘I feel like I’m actually there.’”

While the Black Plague might not be everyone’s first choice of time period to travel back to, the trend has since taken an even darker turn. Other POV videos posted by different creators include being a student during COVID-19, a worker in the World Trade Centre on September 11, 2001, or living through President John F. Kennedy‘s assassination.

But the trend isn’t just for experiencing the darkest days in history. For those wishing to travel back to happier times, one of @timetravellerpov’s videos lets viewers experience a day in the life of a child living in England in the 2000s. Here, the POV takes you under a parachute in the school playground and on a trip to the now-defunct video store Blockbuster.

“I know this is AI, but damn that felt real,” one viewer commented under the video. “Nah this is too sad, take me back to Pompeii,” added another.

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