Visualizing Subculture: Symbolism, Storytelling and Media Behavior in AI Videos — A Case Study of The Era of Smart Guardian?

In the era of rapid development in the AI industry, AI can accurately answer the meanings and connotations of many concepts, including subcultures. However, some people question whether AI generated videos can fully reflect its understanding of the subcultures being represented. This study examines how subcultural elements are represented in AI-generated advertising videos, using the case study of a Chinese commercial The Era of Smart Guardian. The investigation analyzes from three dimensions, which are visual symbols, storytelling and media behaviors. The advertisement mainly incorporates three subcultural elements: "cyberpunk", "pop art", and "surrealism". The overall research has found that the synergistic effect of these three dimensions forms a phenomenon, which is "hollowed representation", where subcultures retain high visual recognizability, whereas they lost their contextual meaning and critical potential, becoming mere aesthetic commodities for commercial consumption.