Viewers are increasingly rejecting overly polished AI-generated content, according to a column by Jang Min-ji, Professor of Media and Visual Studies at Kyungnam University, published 2026.08.07. Interest in generative AI video editing and image generation had grown, sparking discussions about teaching students to produce content nearly indistinguishable from real humans. However, the atmosphere has shifted this year, with reports of viewer fatigue. Zhang Ling-hyeok, who gained popularity through the Chinese drama *In Search of Jade*, ranked in Netflix’s Global Top 100, faced criticism that the opening video for his upcoming work *The Excess of Flowers* excessively used generative AI, leading the production team to replace it. The fatigue is not solely due to technical shortcomings; viewers perceive AI from color grading, expressions, or camera movements. Content is polished but fails to leave a lasting impression, with overly symmetrical faces and skin lacking traces of life. Content perceived as “easily made” is consumed and forgotten quickly, diminishing its value, even if production required significant effort. Consequently, uncontrolled elements—shaky camera focus, imperfect scenes from natural light, or actors’ ad-libs—are now valued as signals of authenticity, indicating the content was not entirely made by AI. The most valuable content moving forward will depend on capturing human presence and “liveness” that AI cannot replace.