The story of Lil Miquela is not new, but I remembered her as I was trying to make a mockup image appear 3D (and also because she has gained a significant following on TikTok).
For those unfamiliar with this inhuman influencer, I believe Lil Miquela began as a social experiment in 2016. She soon blew up, as people could not figure out whether or not she was a real person. In other words, she was the second iteration of the Blue v. Gold Dress debate. While her appearance was hyperrealistic, people could tell that something about her was a little bit off.
The case of Lil Miquela is a testament to how tricky illusions can be, especially with one that moves and appears like Lil Miquela. I find it so interesting how on one end, people could not identify that Lil Miquela was a product of technology. But on the other end, the human brain is still able to pick up on the signs that separate her from our reality.
This is an interesting real life application to the visual language. If two dots and a line are enough for our brain (and technology) to pick up the suggestion of a face, then what does it mean if our brain can still identify some kind of “otherness” while examining a hyperrealistic (albeit computer generated) face? Will we ever see a world where technology becomes so advanced that our brains will not be able to pick up the signs anymore? These are somewhat terrifying thoughts, but still interesting to explore.
