This told essay is based on a conversation with Jonathan Laramie, 32, the creator of the viral YouTube channel Chloe VS History, which features an AI-generated character named Chloe traveling through history. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Many people think that AI videos are created by typing a few prompts, pressing a few buttons, and uploading the results. I can understand why they think that way, but the reality is much more complex.
A few years ago, I was working in customer service and spending my free time experimenting with AI. I had no formal filmmaking background, no production training, and no experience making videos professionally.
In June 2025, I quit my customer service job to pursue my interest in AI. I already have a successful history social media channel and was excited to try something new with AI and my YouTube AI history channel Chloe VS History.
Provided by Jonathan Laramie
This channel has allowed me to earn far more than my initial customer service wages, but it took me a while to get there.
Every video requires dozens of steps
Chloe vs. History follows an AI-generated influencer named Chloe as she travels through moments in history, including the maiden voyage of the Titanic and Pompeii on the day of Vesuvius’ eruption. Described as a modern-day video blogger, she takes viewers into historical contexts and events.
My workflow combines multiple AI tools. We use Claude for ideation and general script structure, use Nano Banana Pro and ChatGPT 2.0 to generate images through PAI 2 (AI software from Utopai Studios), convert those images into video clips with Seedance 2.0, and use an AI voice model to keep Chloe’s voice consistent.
Jonathan Laramie is the creator and producer of Chloe vs. History. Provided by Jonathan Laramie
Creating Chloe was one of the quickest parts of the process. I generated 5-10 versions of the character before choosing the one that resonated with me the most. We spent far more time refining her personality and dialogue so that she sounded like a real influencer rather than an AI-generated character, and that attention to detail paid off. One of the most common questions I get is: Is Chloe real?
The videos on my channel may be AI-generated, but they still require creative direction. I don’t simply accept what the software generates. Every scene has to be reviewed, tweaked, regenerated, and edited until it works just like the real movie.
Historical content in particular poses additional challenges as modern AI models often introduce anachronistic details, such as the streetlights and sunglasses in my Ancient Rome video.
Chloe visits ancient Rome. Provided by Jonathan Laramie
This is why one full-length video can take several weeks to produce. This process includes script writing, image generation, video generation, audio work, multiple revisions, and post-production.
Pay $1,000+ to create one AI video
The full-length videos on my channel typically cost between £300 and £800 ($400 and $1,070).
The final cost depends on the difficulty of the topic and how many times the scene needs to be rerun before it appears correctly.
Unlike traditional YouTube videos, where creators may spend money on equipment and travel costs, the majority of the cost comes from generating and regenerating content with AI models.
Every revision has a cost. It works out to be about $3 per 15-second clip, but since each video requires 10 to 15 revisions, the costs add up.
Chloe visits ancient Egypt and takes a boat ride on the Nile River. Provided by Jonathan Laramie
And these costs are incurred whether the video is successful or not.
At first I tried to make money on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, but only one stuck
In the early stages, Instagram didn’t make a lot of money for me because it doesn’t pay for views. TikTok also couldn’t participate in the Creator Rewards Program, so it wasn’t a major source of income. Even YouTube took a long time to monetize.
Therefore, for a long time, this project did not bring much income. The business side started to change when I started making longer videos.
Long-form videos also required a different approach. There’s a big difference between holding someone’s attention for 15 or 20 minutes and getting them to stop scrolling for a few seconds. The more viewers watch and are interested in my long-form content, the more YouTube will recommend my videos.
This recommendation cycle had a ripple effect across the channel. As my long-form videos gained more attention, I was able to attract attention to my short videos, which had not received much attention on YouTube alone.
One thing I realized is that access to AI tools is not what separates successful creators from the rest.
Anyone can sign up for the software and generate images and videos. The hard part is figuring out what people actually want to see and building a process to consistently deliver it.