Ask Onix
AI fruit characters spark viral sensation on TikTok
An entirely AI-generated dating show featuring anthropomorphic fruit has captivated millions online, dividing opinions between devoted fans and critics calling it "digital slop."
The concept
Fruit Love Island, launched less than a month ago, mimics the format of ITV's Love Island but replaces human contestants with animated produce. The show's cast includes Plumero, a 24-year-old plum from Barcelona, Watermelina, Bananito, and Cherrita-a cherry.
Daily one-minute episodes depict the fruits navigating romances, arguments, and even physical altercations in a setting eerily similar to the original series. The anonymous account behind the show, @ai.cinema021, has amassed 3.3 million followers.
Celebrity reactions and backlash
Singer Zara Larsson briefly engaged with the trend, posting, "Sorry I can't hang out today, I gotta see what's happening with Choclatina and Strawberto," before deleting the comment amid fan criticism. Joe Jonas also weighed in, expressing concern for Watermelina in a TikTok comment.
Former Love Island USA contestants offered mixed reactions. Season 7 winner Amaya Espinal, nicknamed "Amaya Papaya," dismissed the show during a livestream: "No, I don't watch Fruit Island. I would never watch Fruit Island. I don't support it... That's too crazy."
Meanwhile, season 6 stars Kaylor Martin and JaNa Craig appeared amused, filming their reactions to an episode with laughter.
Creator defends the project
The anonymous creator of Fruit Love Island pushed back against criticism in a TikTok post, stating that each video requires hours of scripting, scene planning, and repeated AI generations due to technical glitches.
"I write the scripts, I plan the scenes, and keep redoing things because the AI generation messes up constantly."
However, some episodes were removed by TikTok for unspecified reasons, prompting the creator to shift content to YouTube.
Broader trend and ethical concerns
Fruit Love Island is part of a growing wave of AI-generated food-themed content on TikTok. A spin-off account, @AnayaPapaya, featuring an AI papaya modeled after Espinal, gained 33,000 followers in five days.
Digital culture expert Jessa Lingel of the University of Southern California criticized the trend as low-quality entertainment that exploits short attention spans.
"It's pretty poor quality in the way we always see with AI slop. The amount of work we're supposed to put in as humans keeps getting shorter and shorter."
Jessa Lingel, University of Southern California
Lingel also raised environmental concerns, citing a study estimating AI data centers could consume 1.7 trillion gallons of water globally by 2027. "We're using massive amounts of resources to create content that doesn't actually have a message," she said.
ITV silent as trend expands
ITV, the studio behind Love Island, has not responded to requests for comment from the BBC. The AI trend extends beyond dating shows, with parodies like Fruit Paternity Court and The Summer I Turned Fruity emerging.
Despite the controversy, Fruit Love Island's fanbase remains engaged, voting on favorite couples and eagerly awaiting new episodes.
