Welcome to the “Auntieverse” — a surreal tribute to “auntie culture” by artist Niceaunties, inspired by the spirit of the women who care for each other and their families. From sushi-bedecked cars with legs to hot tub baths full of ramen, Niceaunties shares a visual feast that fuses AI and imagination and celebrates the eccentric, vibrant world of aunties with reverence and awe. (Slides created with AI including Midjourney and DALL·E 3 for text-to-image creation; magnific.ai and Topaz Labs for upscaling the images; Pikalabs and Runwayml for animation.)
If you love watching TED Talks like this one, become a TED Member to support our mission of spreading ideas:
Follow TED!
X:
Instagram:
Facebook:
LinkedIn:
TikTok:
The TED Talks channel features talks, performances and original series from the world’s leading thinkers and doers. Subscribe to our channel for videos on Technology, Entertainment and Design — plus science, business, global issues, the arts and more. Visit to get our entire library of TED Talks, transcripts, translations, personalized talk recommendations and more.
Watch more:
TED’s videos may be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons License, Attribution–Non Commercial–No Derivatives (or the CC BY – NC – ND 4.0 International) and in accordance with our TED Talks Usage Policy: . For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), please submit a Media Request at
#TED #TEDTalks #ai #art
@l01230123
April 24, 2024 at 1:01 pm
Seems like a fun and interesting way to use AI. Niceaunties is really funny!
@MandyBB
April 24, 2024 at 1:03 pm
What is and isn’t art shouldn’t be the question here. The real question is “Is it ethical?” When she says “With AI, it’s just me!” she’s fundamentally incorrect. As long as her images are AI-generated from banks of other photographers and artists, she is a fancy editor of their works. And if she’s using those photos and art without their permission? She’s a thief.
@l01230123
April 24, 2024 at 1:24 pm
I’m kinda surprised this is the first time I read this (reasonable) criticism.
Willing artists and companies should be paid for their work before others profit off it, but there’s also free licensed images that could be used too. It’s a real problem depending on the model she’s using, and regulations are slower than basic ethical considerations :l
@MandyBB
April 24, 2024 at 2:16 pm
@@l01230123 I think there would have been a much smoother rollout of AI-generated images in the “court of public opinion” if the databases had been built out of work that was paid for. But because they didn’t, many artists feel even MORE threatened because not only do they fear losing their jobs, but it their own work is being used to do it.
The enemy here is greed, not engineers or designers or CEOs or artists or TED.
@tressonkaru7410
April 24, 2024 at 3:33 pm
I feel both questions are important. But, the fact they’re using tons of art without permission is concerning. And they’ll make tons of excuses of how these lifeless machines are similar to humans.
@MandyBB
April 24, 2024 at 5:28 pm
@@tressonkaru7410 The question “What is art?” will always be something of a debate, and that is good! (Is Jackson Pollock art? Is Piss Jesus art?) I mean that here, in the comments, I think the more pressing issue is the ethics.
@_B_E
April 24, 2024 at 5:32 pm
@@MandyBB If you’re allowed to download other people images manually to study and refer to, you should be allowed to use an automated tool to do it as well.
@deepestdeepdives
April 24, 2024 at 1:12 pm
Wait…
OK, I’m ready for my TED talk.
@jasonleeky453
April 24, 2024 at 2:05 pm
AI: Aunty Intelligence
@anirudhsinghrawat5659
April 24, 2024 at 2:11 pm
What am I supposed to get from this. Wild imagination 😊
@cg0499
April 24, 2024 at 2:19 pm
Disappointing to see Ted promote AI art You could argue whether it’s art or not (I don’t think it is) but it’s irrefutable that the vast majority of AI generated images on the internet are generated with models trained on stolen art.
@_B_E
April 24, 2024 at 5:30 pm
“stolen art” ya’ll are still on this one huh lmao
@SLApple-hp9ed
April 24, 2024 at 2:20 pm
If I think back, what she used is kind of a surrealist style created by Japanese artists, and these ideas are very similar to many scenes in movies. AI is significantly copying everything.
@TheRainySky
April 24, 2024 at 2:21 pm
AI art is not art.
@evelyne7071
April 24, 2024 at 2:27 pm
I’m shocked at the “ageism” represented by these alleged aunties. These images are not of mothers or aunties; there’s straight up grandmas; all with white hair and wrinkled skin. This is simply making fun of old people. It’s very unwelcome to make fun of people that have probably acquired wisdom through tough times that life has to offer. It’s unfair and unfunny, except possibly at first glance, but gets “old” really fast. Discriminatory
@odanilogato
April 24, 2024 at 2:43 pm
Many “artists” really afraid here in the comments section echoing the “Ai is not art” empty sentence. Soon you’ll learn that who defines in the majority of cases what is art or not is the public that appreciates them and unfortunatly you´ll notice that the vast majority of the public is already enjoying AI art (a lot). Nice Aunties numbers in social media are outstanding. It raises the question of whether individual opinions can outweigh collective appreciation when it comes to defining art.
@fburton8
April 24, 2024 at 2:59 pm
I find this rather nightmarish.
@mikekazz5353
April 24, 2024 at 3:26 pm
Are we speed running to the dead Internet theory timeline?
@caleighf.sudama-charles9504
April 24, 2024 at 5:29 pm
It’s profitable
@danshillabeer9523
April 24, 2024 at 3:34 pm
Ted provides a platform for consideration of ideas. It’s not promoting AI art. If you haven’t tried using prompts to create, you won’t understand the nuances of language necessary to get a baby hippo to ballet dance. But just occasionally, the tech will create something you didn’t consider. AI art is a partnership.
@thoopsy
April 24, 2024 at 3:42 pm
It’s just been most of their talks recently have been on the subject of AI. I know for a fact AI isn’t the only thing going on right now, and I’m completely uninterested. So far it’s just made my life less convenient. What am I supposed to take from it, am I supposed to be inspired to go… Also generate some AI art? What do I take from this? The talk on crocheted hyperbolic planes inspired my mother to create a coral reef out of yarn. Great, AI can make images and the images can be nice. What’s my takeaway???
@danshillabeer9523
April 24, 2024 at 4:24 pm
@@thoopsy lol I agree, there are lots of things on TED that don’t work for me either. However, in the interests of not chucking the baby out with the bathwater, something like this may be the inspiration for the opposite point of view – test your views, if you like?
@thoopsy
April 24, 2024 at 3:36 pm
I understand AI image generation is one of the new big hot topics, but can we Please have some balance?? I’m completely uninterested in this, I follow TED for interesting people bringing their expertise.
@yukuhana
April 24, 2024 at 3:37 pm
For me at least, the fact that these arts are AI generated immediately discredits her creativity and loses my interest altogether.
@andycordy5190
April 24, 2024 at 3:41 pm
It’s simply staggering how a whole new universe is possible in a short time using AI. The humour, nostalgia and love mark this out as extraordinary work with its playful references to disappearing cultural norms. Like all great art it has the power to transcend difference and meaning, while still reserving the right of art to unsettle and disturb our conplascency.
@denisZsuave
April 24, 2024 at 3:51 pm
This reminds me of the animated film “Paprika”
@Stackpooled99
April 26, 2024 at 12:37 pm
It’s nothing like it!
@UCxcRAwlfb7ozS7ZHtmUqonw
April 24, 2024 at 3:52 pm
I don’t really care about a TED talk being about AI, I do care about the relevancy of the people invited. What’s mostly needed to make AI art is just typing on a keyboard, most people can do it, so why invite niceaunties, instead of anyone else who made ai art ? It does feel like in the past few years that the quality of hosts invited to TED talks has deteriorated gradually. Such a shame.
@hebre7828
April 24, 2024 at 3:54 pm
Love Auntie, stay authentic “dominion rd dumpling” exehibition Akl NZ 2024 ???????
@cinematoshi6006
April 24, 2024 at 6:09 pm
i love your work!. following your insta and i was so happy to see this pop up in my youtube feed. absolutely amazing and beautiful imagination!!! ❤👏🏽 please keep producing wonderful content.
@mchl3669
April 24, 2024 at 6:33 pm
This is a real stretch even then I don’t understand what it’s stretching for and the way it’s stretching is unethical.
@KitchenCounterAbstract
April 24, 2024 at 6:36 pm
I wish you’d talked about your process – along with your fascinating concept
@MCRuCr
April 24, 2024 at 6:50 pm
so dumb
@thanhnguyenminh3180
April 24, 2024 at 7:36 pm
I’m so confused by the thumbnail
@michaelfox3259
April 24, 2024 at 9:13 pm
Did I miss something or is this artist/presenter not credited with this presentation and art by name? Nothing in the video description!
Is this perhaps a meta-AI production – the artist/presenter, script, art, stage and audience also composed with an AI?
@BlemishToSociety
April 24, 2024 at 10:54 pm
I really like that she’s not moving her hands around to seem more “confident” (as taught by professional speakers and body language experts) It’s so played out and obvious.
@paulym.everett1569
April 25, 2024 at 12:19 am
Is she a robot too?
@thomasflamen4500
April 25, 2024 at 3:26 am
not her native language, please send us a video of you presenting a project in front of a thousand people in your second or third language (she most likely speaks more than 3 languages if she’s from China).
@jusufs1931
April 25, 2024 at 6:21 am
@@thomasflamen4500 Well said
@maxcoseti
April 25, 2024 at 1:24 am
If you needed any more evidence TED has become a joke
@airangel94
April 25, 2024 at 3:53 am
I’m ok with AI as a conceptualization tool for generating new ideas and being inspired by the images produced, but not as a way to produce the final product. That’s my personal view, as I understand art is subjective.
In my opinion though, there are several aspects of her images that are glaringly distorted/ disfigured (as many AI-generated images are). I personally do not care for them because rather than focusing on the subject and themes of the “art,” one can’t help but be distracted by the unintentional “errors” or “distortions” in the image generation.
@Cyberqueen-AI
April 25, 2024 at 5:53 am
I’m so excited and happy for you! Well done, your work is outstanding. I follow you on Instagram and your creative concepts are so original and inspiring. Keep up the brilliant work 🙂
@agadooska
April 25, 2024 at 6:41 am
I love everything about this, not just great way to use AI as a tool to make superb imagery but the messages behind it. This is what makes it art.
@flamingflamingofruit
April 25, 2024 at 8:42 am
“Never before have I found a medium that felt like the shortest path between my ideas and the visual.”
And the only thing that necessitates this miraculous hack is stealing and proliferating work of 10,000 of uncredited and unpaid artists. 😊😊😊
All that to create an alternative universes for silenced and marginalised women on a computer. Rather than, y’know, do literally anything to improve these women’s lives and challenge rigid societal norms in real life. But no, art theft it is!
@Stackpooled99
April 26, 2024 at 12:39 pm
Okay. So name an artist her work resembles. You can’t can you, because it’s wholly original.
@mariaantoniettamontella9173
April 25, 2024 at 9:44 am
funny
@aarenskov
April 25, 2024 at 9:55 am
Ive. I love how people non on the field of computation always takes the final step to say ai is not art and stole art from real people, first we can debate it, second is not like that, thats not how presictive models work xD
@s1v7
April 25, 2024 at 10:07 am
real artists use AI and benefit from it, only mediocrity is afraid
@Tazer_Silverscar
April 25, 2024 at 10:26 am
Eh, I wish that this wasn’t about promoting AI. If you wanted to encourage these older ladies to put out their eccentricity, this is not the way to do it (because this makes it look like you don’t need them). This is why I stand steadfast against AI. Because its goal involves replacing the people who are important to the art itself.
I get the story, but the problem is that this is disposing of the point of encouraging people to be involved provides a surreal delusion that people are just not necessary. And these kinds of ‘creators’ are ignorant to this.
@thoangthoang5378
April 25, 2024 at 10:37 am
Trash
@alephiaacciaro3867
April 25, 2024 at 8:58 pm
This brought me joy and we need more of that. It may not be the type of art we’ve been accustomed to but it serves a purpose. There is room for all.
@Rajahmundryabbayi
April 26, 2024 at 1:00 am
Good
@Nekochou
April 26, 2024 at 5:30 am
Another AI video TED ? This is getting more and more frustrating. All these videos promoting AI art do not discuss the dangers of stealing other people’s art for this and how AI needs to be more legislated. I’m unsuscribing for now because it seems like these days all your videos are uncritically promoting AI…
@DanceUnderInfluence
April 26, 2024 at 7:32 am
This is great! I’d love to know what she used to make the video’s. Some look excellent!