Lately, you may have come across some weirdly satisfying AI videos online — glass being spread on bread, a knife slicing into a pink “volcano,” or someone eating a gem-like crystal burger. If the sharp crunch-crunch sounds somehow comfort you and you can’t stop scrolling, you’ve already been hooked by AI-generated ASMR content.
I tried it myself — made an AI version of the gem burger from Delicious in Dungeon. The visuals and audio turned out oddly soothing and bizarre. In my latest newsletter, I even shared the prompt for free. If you’re curious, go try creating your own Ice Planet, Cream Explosion, or Pudding City.
But this article isn’t just about sharing these addictive little clips. I want to talk about what’s behind them — a growing “digital sensation market” taking shape beneath the calm exterior of these short, soothing videos.
🔁 From Crunch Sounds to Billion-Dollar Industry: The Economic Acceleration of ASMR
ASMR, or Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, refers to a tingling sensation triggered by sound or visual cues. It usually starts at the scalp and flows down the spine or limbs, often accompanied by a sense of calm and relaxation.
It may sound a bit mystical, but the global popularity of ASMR videos is very real. According to YouTube, ASMR searches have steadily increased year over year, with total watch time surpassing many mainstream entertainment genres. On TikTok, the hashtag #ASMR has already crossed over 100 billion views.
It all started as a small, niche self-help community. People suffering from insomnia, anxiety, or social phobia would upload videos of whispering, ear cleaning, or tapping wooden boxes. Before long, it became a business.
🎤 Who’s Creating These Sounds? A Profession Fueled by Creativity and Anxiety
That’s how the “ASMRtists” — creators of ASMR — came into being. Some are like perfumers, highly sensitive to sound; others are more like performance artists, capable of crafting the most delicate crackles and scrapes. Whatever their original intent, today’s ASMR scene is fiercely competitive. Algorithm preferences practically determine success or failure.
Views, watch-through rate, and engagement directly affect whether a video gets recommended. The algorithm favors content that makes you pause, that’s endlessly scrollable, and that looks like nothing you’ve seen before.
This creates a feedback loop: “To earn money → You need to be recommended → You need to stand out → You need to be more bizarre → You need to create sounds no one’s ever heard before.” Hence the rise of clips like “slicing glass jam” or “lasering slime.” The shift from calm to sensory shock isn’t random — it’s the result of creators seeking differentiation under algorithmic pressure.
🤖 AI Isn’t Here to Take Jobs — It’s Here to Redefine Sensation
By 2024, AIGC (AI-generated content) began fully entering the sensory space. Many ASMR videos are no longer filmed by humans — they’re drawn by AI, voiced by AI, and even edited by AI. And AI doesn’t just imitate. It can generate visual effects you’ve never seen (like a volcano melting into milk bubbles), or sound combos you’ve never heard (say, glass shards rubbing against marshmallows). It can even learn what kinds of sounds you like and tailor a relaxation rhythm just for you. AI does it faster than humans — and thinks weirder, too.
📈 The Future of the Sensory Economy: Sensation as Product, Stimulus as Currency
By now, you’ve probably sensed it: ASMR isn’t just a relaxation tool. It’s the prelude to a new digital age — one where we consume not just information (news, facts), stories (books, movies), or social cues (likes, comments), but sensations themselves.
We’ll increasingly be consuming: the feeling of pleasure, tingles, or calm; and these sensations will be controllable, adjustable, and customizable. This shift is powered by three forces: Technology: AI can now precisely generate complex sounds and visuals. Psychology: the human brain craves novelty, rhythm, and repetition. Economics: platforms reward content that holds attention — and sensory satisfaction delivers exactly that
That’s what we mean by the “sensory economy.”
🔮 What Might the Future Look Like? A Few Scenarios
✅ More immersive: ASMR + VR. You won’t just watch someone poke pudding — you’ll stand on a jelly planet and feel the gooey bounce under your feet.
✅ More personalized: AI gets you. Your heart rate and brain waves become input, and AI generates the ideal rhythm and sensory video for how you feel today.
✅ More medical: ASMR becomes digital medicine. Research is already exploring ASMR as intervention for anxiety, insomnia, and PTSD.
⚠️ But Let’s Not Forget — Sensation Has Side Effects Too
Good tech still needs boundaries.
Overstimulation can dull your response to the real world and lead to aesthetic fatigue. AI-generated “gentle whispers” and “custom companionship” might create a false sense of emotional connection. There’s also the concern: if children watch food-related chewing ASMR, will they start imitating and eating things like slime?
———
AI can generate sensation — but it doesn’t understand it.
AI-generated ASMR content is rapidly changing how we relate to “relaxation,” “comfort,” and “companionship.” It’s not the next wave of film. It’s not another type of audio show. It might be the first true genre of sensation-based content.
If you’re an ASMR creator — or just hooked on the scroll — it’s worth asking: When sensation itself becomes the product, what are we really consuming?
📮 P.S. I’ve included the prompt I used to create some of these AI-generated ASMR videos in this issue of our newsletter. Try it out — and make your own little “alchemy of sensation.”
Lately, you may have come across some weirdly satisfying AI videos online — glass being spread on bread, a knife slicing into a pink “volcano,” or someone eating a gem-like crystal burger. If the sharp crunch-crunch sounds somehow comfort you and you can’t stop scrolling, you’ve already been hooked by AI-generated ASMR content.
I tried it myself — made an AI version of the gem burger from Delicious in Dungeon. The visuals and audio turned out oddly soothing and bizarre. In my latest newsletter, I even shared the prompt for free. If you’re curious, go try creating your own Ice Planet, Cream Explosion, or Pudding City.
But this article isn’t just about sharing these addictive little clips. I want to talk about what’s behind them — a growing “digital sensation market” taking shape beneath the calm exterior of these short, soothing videos.
🔁 From Crunch Sounds to Billion-Dollar Industry: The Economic Acceleration of ASMR
ASMR, or Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, refers to a tingling sensation triggered by sound or visual cues. It usually starts at the scalp and flows down the spine or limbs, often accompanied by a sense of calm and relaxation.
It may sound a bit mystical, but the global popularity of ASMR videos is very real. According to YouTube, ASMR searches have steadily increased year over year, with total watch time surpassing many mainstream entertainment genres. On TikTok, the hashtag #ASMR has already crossed over 100 billion views.
It all started as a small, niche self-help community. People suffering from insomnia, anxiety, or social phobia would upload videos of whispering, ear cleaning, or tapping wooden boxes. Before long, it became a business.
🎤 Who’s Creating These Sounds? A Profession Fueled by Creativity and Anxiety
That’s how the “ASMRtists” — creators of ASMR — came into being. Some are like perfumers, highly sensitive to sound; others are more like performance artists, capable of crafting the most delicate crackles and scrapes. Whatever their original intent, today’s ASMR scene is fiercely competitive. Algorithm preferences practically determine success or failure.
Views, watch-through rate, and engagement directly affect whether a video gets recommended. The algorithm favors content that makes you pause, that’s endlessly scrollable, and that looks like nothing you’ve seen before.
This creates a feedback loop: “To earn money → You need to be recommended → You need to stand out → You need to be more bizarre → You need to create sounds no one’s ever heard before.” Hence the rise of clips like “slicing glass jam” or “lasering slime.” The shift from calm to sensory shock isn’t random — it’s the result of creators seeking differentiation under algorithmic pressure.
🤖 AI Isn’t Here to Take Jobs — It’s Here to Redefine Sensation
By 2024, AIGC (AI-generated content) began fully entering the sensory space. Many ASMR videos are no longer filmed by humans — they’re drawn by AI, voiced by AI, and even edited by AI. And AI doesn’t just imitate. It can generate visual effects you’ve never seen (like a volcano melting into milk bubbles), or sound combos you’ve never heard (say, glass shards rubbing against marshmallows). It can even learn what kinds of sounds you like and tailor a relaxation rhythm just for you. AI does it faster than humans — and thinks weirder, too.
📈 The Future of the Sensory Economy: Sensation as Product, Stimulus as Currency
By now, you’ve probably sensed it: ASMR isn’t just a relaxation tool. It’s the prelude to a new digital age — one where we consume not just information (news, facts), stories (books, movies), or social cues (likes, comments), but sensations themselves.
We’ll increasingly be consuming: the feeling of pleasure, tingles, or calm; and these sensations will be controllable, adjustable, and customizable. This shift is powered by three forces: Technology: AI can now precisely generate complex sounds and visuals. Psychology: the human brain craves novelty, rhythm, and repetition. Economics: platforms reward content that holds attention — and sensory satisfaction delivers exactly that
That’s what we mean by the “sensory economy.”
🔮 What Might the Future Look Like? A Few Scenarios
✅ More immersive: ASMR + VR. You won’t just watch someone poke pudding — you’ll stand on a jelly planet and feel the gooey bounce under your feet.
✅ More personalized: AI gets you. Your heart rate and brain waves become input, and AI generates the ideal rhythm and sensory video for how you feel today.
✅ More medical: ASMR becomes digital medicine. Research is already exploring ASMR as intervention for anxiety, insomnia, and PTSD.
⚠️ But Let’s Not Forget — Sensation Has Side Effects Too
Good tech still needs boundaries.
Overstimulation can dull your response to the real world and lead to aesthetic fatigue. AI-generated “gentle whispers” and “custom companionship” might create a false sense of emotional connection. There’s also the concern: if children watch food-related chewing ASMR, will they start imitating and eating things like slime?
———
AI can generate sensation — but it doesn’t understand it.
AI-generated ASMR content is rapidly changing how we relate to “relaxation,” “comfort,” and “companionship.” It’s not the next wave of film. It’s not another type of audio show. It might be the first true genre of sensation-based content.
If you’re an ASMR creator — or just hooked on the scroll — it’s worth asking: When sensation itself becomes the product, what are we really consuming?
📮 P.S. I’ve included the prompt I used to create some of these AI-generated ASMR videos in this issue of my newsletter. Try it out — and make your own little “alchemy of sensation.”
Lately, you may have come across some weirdly satisfying AI videos online — glass being spread on bread, a knife slicing into a pink “volcano,” or someone eating a gem-like crystal burger. If the sharp crunch-crunch sounds somehow comfort you and you can’t stop scrolling, you’ve already been hooked by AI-generated ASMR content.
I tried it myself — made an AI version of the gem burger from Delicious in Dungeon. The visuals and audio turned out oddly soothing and bizarre. In my latest newsletter, I even shared the prompt for free. If you’re curious, go try creating your own Ice Planet, Cream Explosion, or Pudding City.
But this article isn’t just about sharing these addictive little clips. I want to talk about what’s behind them — a growing “digital sensation market” taking shape beneath the calm exterior of these short, soothing videos.
🔁 From Crunch Sounds to Billion-Dollar Industry: The Economic Acceleration of ASMR
ASMR, or Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, refers to a tingling sensation triggered by sound or visual cues. It usually starts at the scalp and flows down the spine or limbs, often accompanied by a sense of calm and relaxation.
It may sound a bit mystical, but the global popularity of ASMR videos is very real. According to YouTube, ASMR searches have steadily increased year over year, with total watch time surpassing many mainstream entertainment genres. On TikTok, the hashtag #ASMR has already crossed over 100 billion views.
It all started as a small, niche self-help community. People suffering from insomnia, anxiety, or social phobia would upload videos of whispering, ear cleaning, or tapping wooden boxes. Before long, it became a business.
🎤 Who’s Creating These Sounds? A Profession Fueled by Creativity and Anxiety
That’s how the “ASMRtists” — creators of ASMR — came into being. Some are like perfumers, highly sensitive to sound; others are more like performance artists, capable of crafting the most delicate crackles and scrapes. Whatever their original intent, today’s ASMR scene is fiercely competitive. Algorithm preferences practically determine success or failure.
Views, watch-through rate, and engagement directly affect whether a video gets recommended. The algorithm favors content that makes you pause, that’s endlessly scrollable, and that looks like nothing you’ve seen before.
This creates a feedback loop: “To earn money → You need to be recommended → You need to stand out → You need to be more bizarre → You need to create sounds no one’s ever heard before.” Hence the rise of clips like “slicing glass jam” or “lasering slime.” The shift from calm to sensory shock isn’t random — it’s the result of creators seeking differentiation under algorithmic pressure.
🤖 AI Isn’t Here to Take Jobs — It’s Here to Redefine Sensation
By 2024, AIGC (AI-generated content) began fully entering the sensory space. Many ASMR videos are no longer filmed by humans — they’re drawn by AI, voiced by AI, and even edited by AI. And AI doesn’t just imitate. It can generate visual effects you’ve never seen (like a volcano melting into milk bubbles), or sound combos you’ve never heard (say, glass shards rubbing against marshmallows). It can even learn what kinds of sounds you like and tailor a relaxation rhythm just for you. AI does it faster than humans — and thinks weirder, too.
📈 The Future of the Sensory Economy: Sensation as Product, Stimulus as Currency
By now, you’ve probably sensed it: ASMR isn’t just a relaxation tool. It’s the prelude to a new digital age — one where we consume not just information (news, facts), stories (books, movies), or social cues (likes, comments), but sensations themselves.
We’ll increasingly be consuming: the feeling of pleasure, tingles, or calm; and these sensations will be controllable, adjustable, and customizable. This shift is powered by three forces: Technology: AI can now precisely generate complex sounds and visuals. Psychology: the human brain craves novelty, rhythm, and repetition. Economics: platforms reward content that holds attention — and sensory satisfaction delivers exactly that
That’s what we mean by the “sensory economy.”
🔮 What Might the Future Look Like? A Few Scenarios
✅ More immersive: ASMR + VR. You won’t just watch someone poke pudding — you’ll stand on a jelly planet and feel the gooey bounce under your feet.
✅ More personalized: AI gets you. Your heart rate and brain waves become input, and AI generates the ideal rhythm and sensory video for how you feel today.
✅ More medical: ASMR becomes digital medicine. Research is already exploring ASMR as intervention for anxiety, insomnia, and PTSD.
⚠️ But Let’s Not Forget — Sensation Has Side Effects Too
Good tech still needs boundaries.
Overstimulation can dull your response to the real world and lead to aesthetic fatigue. AI-generated “gentle whispers” and “custom companionship” might create a false sense of emotional connection. There’s also the concern: if children watch food-related chewing ASMR, will they start imitating and eating things like slime?
———
AI can generate sensation — but it doesn’t understand it.
AI-generated ASMR content is rapidly changing how we relate to “relaxation,” “comfort,” and “companionship.” It’s not the next wave of film. It’s not another type of audio show. It might be the first true genre of sensation-based content.
If you’re an ASMR creator — or just hooked on the scroll — it’s worth asking: When sensation itself becomes the product, what are we really consuming?
📮 P.S. I’ve included the prompt I used to create some of these AI-generated ASMR videos in this issue of my newsletter. Try it out — and make your own little “alchemy of sensation.”
Fast Take
Ever watched AI slice a volcano-shaped jelly or smear glass on bread — and found it weirdly satisfying? Welcome to the world of AI-generated ASMR, where sensation is content, and “crunch” is currency. This isn’t just internet weirdness — it’s the beginning of a whole new sensory economy.
Share Now
Fast Take
Ever watched AI slice a volcano-shaped jelly or smear glass on bread — and found it weirdly satisfying? Welcome to the world of AI-generated ASMR, where sensation is content, and “crunch” is currency. This isn’t just internet weirdness — it’s the beginning of a whole new sensory economy.
Share Now
Fast Take
Ever watched AI slice a volcano-shaped jelly or smear glass on bread — and found it weirdly satisfying? Welcome to the world of AI-generated ASMR, where sensation is content, and “crunch” is currency. This isn’t just internet weirdness — it’s the beginning of a whole new sensory economy.
Share Now