Vine Revival: 'Devine' App Launches With Restored Clips, Anti-AI Stance
A new social media platform inspired by the defunct Vine aims to recapture the spirit of early internet culture while prohibiting artificial intelligence-generated content.
A new social media app named Devine has launched, aiming to recapture the essence of the cult-favorite Vine, which shut down nearly a decade ago. The platform, inspired by Vine's signature six-second looping videos, has restored over two million classic clips from the original archive.
Devine is the creation of Evan Henshaw-Plath, also known online as Rabble, an early employee of Twitter, which was then the parent company of Vine. Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey is providing financial backing for the project, though he does not hold an ownership stake.
The launch comes at a time of apparent public nostalgia for an earlier internet, characterized by simpler social media experiences before the dominance of influencers, targeted advertising, and algorithmic feeds. This trend is also reflected in renewed interest surrounding other retro internet brands, such as Myspace.
Devine's founders are betting on this nostalgia, seeking to recreate the simplicity and community feel associated with early social media platforms. Henshaw-Plath stated that the goal is to avoid the pitfalls of current social networks, such as the concentration of power in a few companies and the proliferation of "AI slop."
A Different Approach to Content
A key differentiator for Devine is its stringent policy against AI-generated content. The platform requires users to record videos directly through its camera and employs technology to distinguish between human-created and AI-generated material, with the latter being prohibited. Devine is built on Nostr, a decentralized, open-source protocol, which the company believes allows for a different approach to platform control compared to traditional social networks.
While not entirely ruling out advertising, Devine's Chief Marketing Officer, Alice Chan, indicated that the company is looking for innovative brand integrations rather than traditional ad formats. Taco Bell has already partnered with Devine as part of a promotional campaign.
