London bus riding cat that roams streets in tutu becomes TikTok star - nobody spotted subtle AI flag
A bus-riding cat who travels on Transport for London's double deckers wearing a tutu dress and other little outfits has become a sensation on TikTok. Six Beans is a brown tabby cat described as a cross-breed between a Scottish Fold and British Short-Hair, whose schtick is to travel on TfL carriages wearing an array of adorable - or odd depending on your viewpoint - costumes.
The videos of Six Beans' sassy antics in the Big Smoke are accompanied by an audio narrative, equally full of attitude. In one clip, Six Beans says: "Another day, another London Bridge slay. Well technically, it's a double slay because we're on a double decker and we're gonna cross London Bridge on said double decker.
"When our bus came, I was like, 'Oh hello!' The bus was blessedly empty and so was the road ahead, and I was like, 'Whoa, they cleared the road just for me?' Mum said, 'No, silly. It's 3pm on a Tuesday, everyone's working they have a life'. Mmm mmmm. And yet I am making more money off this video than you are in your sad little day job. Just kidding! I love my corporate slaves."
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You can watch the video below.
Six Beans' no-prisoners approach to social media has won her legions of fans on TikTok, including one who joked they would "die for this cat". "The day I meet Six Beans is the day I've completed London," wrote a user. "Everyday is a double decker slay if Six Beans is there," said another, while a third user posted: "Six Beans has more outfits than me, it's so cute." Still another quipped: "At this point, Six Beans should be a double decker's ambassador."
But Six Beans' fans appear to have missed one subtle fact...
That's right, 'AI-generated' is a post-script of many of the cute brown cat's videos. TikTok this year began automatically tagging videos generated using AI, as well as requiring creators to tag them if AI was used to create them in another app. It is not clear to what extent the videos are constructed with AI, whether Six Beans is real or if in fact it is just the audio narrative that is the only artificial feature. But to the account's 167,000 followers, who lap up the feline fashionista's adventures, it may not even matter.
Six Beans' latest outing features her celebrating Chinese New Year in her own sardonic style, hanging lazily from a pouch in her owner's utility belt wearing a festive red cap. Users were thrilled to see another streetwise cat prowling around in the video, Eight Beans, described as Six Beans' sister.
Other adventures see Six Beans reluctantly participate in pottery painting, hissing while her paws are dabbed in paint, and elsewhere, the socialite cat checks out Liberty of London's new Christmas shop, giving her verdict on the massive boutique's selection of baubles and other ornaments.
MyLondon has approached Six Beans' account for comment.
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