Good morning. Three US-based music creators are attempting to get a visa for their band member in India by reaching 1 million followers on Instagram and TikTok.

Darshan, Evan, Zach, and Anthony are Boy Throb, a pop quartet that really makes you wonder, “Is this satire?”

— Hannah Doyle & Syd Cohen

Over the holidays, nine creators announced their departure from gaming organization FaZe Clan over contract disputes—leaving FaZe’s future uncertain.

Here’s what we know:

Going forward: On a livestream, Adapt assured that “nothing is going to change from the viewer’s perspective.” All departed team members will continue to stream together without the support of the organization.

Zoom out: FaZe Clan started as a creator house in 2010 and grew with an esports team and multimillion-dollar sponsorship deals. It was the first creator business to go public in 2022 at a billion-dollar valuation, but it soon fell to a penny stock amid concerns that the company’s business model (sponsorship with brands) wasn’t stable enough for growth. 

As that foundational piece of the business crumbles, the company’s esports division is the only element left unbothered by the departures (since it is 100% owned by GameSquare). In the coming months, we will see the effects of a mass departure—and whether FaZe can rebound from this loss.

Last week, Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri posted a 20-slide carousel to his personal account, explaining the challenges creators may face on the platform in 2026. Here’s the gist →

Mosseri explained that AI tools now enable anyone to copy a creator's work, and AI content will soon be indistinguishable from real footage. “Authenticity is becoming infinitely reproducible,” he said. 

In response, demand for real, creator-made content will increase. “The bar is shifting from ‘can you create’ to ‘can you make something that only you can create?’” Mosseri said.

But as AI looks more lifelike, viewer skepticism will increase, Mosseri said. The default will be for viewers to think most content is fake, then find tells that prove otherwise.

To earn viewer trust, Mosseri said Instagram needs to verify authentic content and highlight original creators. It will also start to display more info on who is behind each account.

What creators are saying: Some see Mosseri’s predictions as a smart read on where content is headed. Others see his post as deflecting responsibility for Instagram’s algorithm and perpetuating AI content.

Tell us: With AI blurring the line between what’s real and not, how do you think creators will stand out? Hit reply and let us know.

Powered by AI. Neuro-sama, a VTuber created by computer programmer Vedal in 2022, has racked up over 160K active subscribers in the last month—over twice the amount of runner-up Jynxzi. 

Neuro-sama is currently the most-subscribed streamer on the platform, outranking other creators like Kai Cenat and Hasan Piker.

How it works: Neuro-sama uses a large language model to interact with viewers, react to videos, and sing—using a separate AI model to play video games. Vedal, who runs two AI VTuber accounts, coded the AI components in Python and hired an artist to illustrate Neuro-sama’s avatar.

Big picture: As AI content continues to permeate all major platforms, livestreaming remains harder to replicate with AI than short-form video. Could Neuro-sama’s explosion in popularity lead to other programmers following in Vedal’s footsteps?