AI Pranks: How to get +1M views showing strangers fake videos of themselves
What if you could show someone a video of themselves stealing food, being interrogated at a police station, or about to get married at a wedding... when it never happened?
Welcome to AI Pranks, the hidden camera format that's blowing up on TikTok with videos getting over 1 million views.
A creator in Florida recorded a stranger at a supermarket, created an AI video of them doing something compromising, and showed it to them while recording their reaction. Result: instant viral. His words to police: "My last one hit like a mil."
The technical barrier has disappeared. You no longer need editing skills. With Vuela, anyone can create these videos in minutes.
AI Pranks: The numbers behind the trend
To show you the potential, let's look at the metrics from creators exploiting this format:
- @mattymoellz "Showing people AI of themselves": 1.4M+ likes
- AI Prank supermarket reactions: 721K views
- Tutorials "How to make AI Pranks": 423K views
- Stranger reacts to fake video: 320K views
The audience already exists and is hungry for this content. Genuine reactions are pure gold for the algorithm.
What is an AI Prank?
The concept is straightforward: you take a photo of someone in a public place, use AI to create a video where that person does something they never did, then show them the result while recording their reaction.
Types of AI Pranks that work:
- Funny "criminal" acts: Stealing food, tasting products without paying
- Compromising situations: At a police station, buying something suspicious
- Absurd scenes: At a wedding, receiving an award, at a karaoke bar
- Weird behaviors: Dancing alone, talking to objects
The format mixes AI magic with genuine reaction authenticity. The result: highly shareable content.
See it in action
They say seeing is believing. Before explaining the process, watch how it works:
The Vuela process: 2 options
We've simplified the process so you can create AI Pranks in minutes. You have two ways to do it:
Option A: Animate directly (quick)
Ideal when you want the person to do something funny in the same place where you recorded them.
- Take a photo of someone at the supermarket
- Go to Image Playground → Animate
- Upload the photo and write the prompt
Example prompt: "The person looks around to make sure no one is watching, grabs a donut and eats it quickly while hiding, then puts another one back on the shelf"
Settings: Duration 6-10 seconds, Sound Effects ON.
Option B: Character Consistency (more impact)
Ideal when you want to put the person in a completely different situation.
- Take a photo of someone at the supermarket
- Go to Image Playground → Edit → Character Consistency
- Upload the photo as "Character"
- Character description: "man" or "woman"
- New scene: Describe the new situation
"New scene" examples:
- "Man at a police station being interrogated by officers"
- "Man in a store buying an iPhone in a suspicious way"
- "Man at a wedding altar about to get married"
Click "Apply edit" → Generates the image → Click "Animate" → Describe the action in that scene.
Option B generates more impact because the person sees themselves in a place they've never been.
The final step: Show and record the reaction
Approach the person with an excuse:
- "Excuse me, is this you in the video?"
- "Hey, look at what I just saw..."
Record their reaction. The magic is in capturing the initial confusion, the moment they recognize themselves, and the WTF when they see the action.
Total time: 5 minutes per video.
Important tips
- Always ask permission afterward to publish
- Keep the tone funny, not malicious
- The person should be able to laugh at the result
- Avoid causing real panic
Ready to create your first AI Prank?
Creators are already getting millions of views with this format. Genuine reactions + hyperrealistic AI = viral content.
The question isn't whether you can create a convincing video. The question is: who are you going to surprise first?