AI now generates Miami Vice-style videos and threatens to replace actors

AI recreates Miami Vice: the debate over the end of real actors

A video generated by artificial intelligence has gone viral for its resemblance to the iconic series Miami Vice. The eighties aesthetic, the pastel colors and even the soundtrack – with echoes of Jan Hammer and his Fairlight CMI – are so well done that it is hard to tell it apart from a real episode. The immediate reaction: nostalgia and fascination in equal measure. But behind the amazement looms an uncomfortable question: are we witnessing the beginning of the end of traditional audiovisual production?

The scene that has been circulating depicts a nighttime chase with the series' trademark look: neon lights, white suits and a visual rhythm that hooks you in. One user commented that it looks like it came straight out of Miami Vice, their favorite show; another joked about the background extras the AI places at random. But the detail that stands out most is the soundtrack: the sound of the Fairlight CMI, that synthesizer that in the 80s was the pride of those who owned one, digitally recreated.

Beyond the hype, some are already predicting a paradigm shift. The prediction is clear: within a few years, most YouTube videos and Spotify music will be AI-generated. If the technology can already emulate series as distinctive as Miami Vice, the leap to full productions is only a matter of time. Will we still prefer human talent over the perfect imitation? The unsettling fact: while some long for flesh-and-blood actors, the machine can already clone any style. The dilemma is on the table.