Grimes ushers in a new era of internet infestation

Grimes Ushers in a New Era of Internet Infestation

Claire Boucher, known as Grimes, has always embodied the essence of the internet, with all its unsettling nuances. Have you ever mistaken a shadow in your kitchen for a cockroach? Your hand catches the light at an odd angle, casting a dark shape into an overlooked corner. Your mind, alert to pests, senses something harmful, alive, a sign of decay creeping in unnoticed. Upon closer inspection, there is nothing amiss; your kitchen remains safe, yet the uneasy feeling persists.

“Artificial Angels” and the Internet’s Pervasive Discomfort

Grimes’ music video for “Artificial Angels” captures the disturbing anxiety of living with internet-enhanced reality in 2025. The video’s numerous establishing shots resemble generative AI demonstration reels, evoking a sense of overload and confusion. The Canadian electropop artist dances among shifting virtual AI companions named Grok. Primitive figures smoke cigarettes stamped with the OpenAI logo. Erratic cartoon overlays simulate the overwhelming effects of videos created by those obsessed with information excess.

“This is how it feels to be hunted by something smarter than you.”

This phrase, delivered in a deliberately crude AI voice at the beginning and end of the song, encapsulates the central theme: a feeling of vulnerability under the gaze of superior intelligence. The song and video serve as a momentary shock, provoking reflection but easily dismissed soon after—like noticing a dead animal on a routine morning walk.

Summary

“Artificial Angels” channels the eerie discomfort of our AI-dominated world, blending digital chaos with human vulnerability in a brief, haunting experience.

Would you like the tone to be more formal or conversational?

Salon.com — 2025-11-07