“I am Neuro, who are you?”: Performances of authenticity in an experimental AI livestream

Authenticity is simultaneously part of the appeal and anxiety surrounding GenAI (generative artificial intelligence) technologies, which are often evaluated in terms of whether their speech and interactions can “pass” as authentically human. This study explores collective negotiations of authenticity in AI–human interaction by looking at AI virtual livestreams, focusing particularly on the performer Neuro-sama. Drawing on non-participant observation and textual analysis, we identify three key components in the performative evolution of authenticity: transparency, emotion, and potentiality. Our analysis offers a nuanced perspective on the relational and performative construction of authenticity, advancing discussions of how human–machine interactions reshape our understanding of a sociotechnical landscape increasingly reshaped by AI.