Yotam Ophir discusses viral TikTok trends and the impact of AI-Generated content

Picture of Ballerina Cappuccina [AI-Generated image].

quoted Yotam Ophir, associate professor in the Department of Communication, in a story about Ballerina Cappuccina and the Italian “brain rot” subgenre of absurd, AI-generated characters that are flooding TikTok.

 also quoted Ophir, in an article about TikTok attempting to bypass tariffs by marketing goods directly from manufacturers to consumers.

In The New York Times article “”, Ophir explored the viral phenomenon of the “Italian brain rot” trend. This trend features bizarre, AI-generated characters like Ballerina Cappuccina — a surreal creation with a cappuccino cup for a head. These absurd, often nonsensical videos, which have captured widespread attention, are part of a larger wave of low-quality digital media gaining popularity on social media platforms like TikTok. Ophir commented on how such content reflects changing media consumption patterns and warned about the risks of memes and viral trends being used for harmful or political purposes.

Ophir was also featured in , where he talked about growing trends on TikTok. These videos tap into consumer frustrations and Ophir highlighted the potential for these messages to carry subtle political undertones.

These insights underline Ophir’s ongoing research into the intersection of media trends, AI technology, and digital culture. His work continues to shed light on how viral content is reshaping public discourse and influencing social behavior.