Jack Dorsey, the co-founder of Twitter, is backing a new version of the defunct video-sharing app Vine, now rebranded as Divine. The platform relaunched in app stores with a strict rule: all content must be made by a human, aiming to combat the proliferation of AI-generated material.
Vine, which allowed users to post looping six-second videos, was acquired by Twitter in 2012 and shut down in 2017 after failing to generate profit. Divine will host 500,000 original Vine videos and allow new uploads, all adhering to the six-second limit and human-creation requirement.
The project is spearheaded by Evan Henshaw-Plath, a former Twitter employee, who described it as a personal project to revive the creative, human-centric internet. Funding comes from Dorsey's non-profit fund and Other Stuff, which supports open-source social media projects.
Dorsey acknowledged that Vine lacked a business model but stated that Divine will give creators full control over their content and followers, enabling them to build revenue streams. The app uses verification tools to ensure no AI-generated content is posted.
Divine faces significant competition from established short-form video platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts, which averages over 200 billion daily views. However, its backers hope the focus on human creativity will attract users disillusioned with AI-generated content.
