Israeli Creator Turns Historical Figures into Viral AI Stars

Yonatan Vichter, a 25-year-old from Sderot who works as an electric train mechanic for Siemens, has become a viral sensation by creating AI-generated videos. In his free time, Vichter produces content that transforms serious and historical figures into lighthearted characters suitable for social media, with some videos garnering millions of views.

Vichter recently gained significant attention for a series of videos featuring Golda Meir. He explained to mako that his creative process involves taking well-known, serious figures and showing a different side of them, imagining how they might behave in different contexts. He noted that creating videos of Benjamin Netanyahu is nearly impossible due to AI model restrictions. Vichter emphasized that his primary motivation is humor, not politics, despite some users suspecting him of creating content for political figures like Itamar Ben-Gvir. He confirmed he does not work for any politicians, though Benny Gantz has commented on his work.

The creation process for Vichter's videos varies, with simple ones taking about five minutes and more complex projects requiring four to five hours for editing and scripting. He crafts extensive text prompts, which are then refined by ChatGPT, creating an AI-assisted AI workflow. Vichter described his process as dynamic, recalling that an idea for a Golda Meir video came to him in the shower and was edited and uploaded by the next day, subsequently appearing on television.

Vichter uses the Seedance 2.5 model from ByteDance on the Higgsfield platform. He stressed that AI is merely a tool, and while anyone can create content, the quality and engagement depend on the creator's vision and script. In the past week alone, he has uploaded 41 videos, and his new Instagram page has gained 22,000 followers in just seven days. One video featuring Oshri Cohen, Eyal Golan, Tzipi Shavit, Assaf Granit, and Itamar Ben-Gvir singing in a car has surpassed one million views.

While Vichter doesn't earn directly from views, his main goal is to entertain Israelis. He is expanding his business to include "Save the Date" videos for couples, corporate work, and potential collaborations with public figures. Vichter consistently labels his content as AI-generated to avoid misleading viewers, though some still believe the videos are real. His long-term aspiration is to write and direct films and series.