I am intrigued by the concept of AI lolcows, and I'm not convinced one way or the other on the subject.
On the one hand, I doubt that even the most advanced AI models could create entertaining content in the way that true lolcows can. There's just something off about it. It lacks heart.
On the other hand, the advantage could be interactivity. We all know to "look but don't touch" the cows, but so many people out there feel the need to get involved. They wanted to send Cobes allegedly funny groceries. They want to scream "JULAY" at Chris Chan. They want to tell Josh Block to "Put the fries in the bag." They want to play with the cows.
AI could be the solution. Train an AI model on a given lolcow's back catalog to create an interactive version, and people could do whatever they want without affecting a real human being.
The concept is still pretty bizarre, and I certainly wouldn't want to interact with an AI Cobra or any other AI lolcow for that matter, but I've read about people falling in love with AI girlfriends, so I'm sure there are plenty who would jump at the opportunity.
I agree with you, the term has been watered down quite a bit and any random retard who goes viral on tiktok doesn't equate to them being a lolcow. There's a certain vibe or invisible parameter that makes someone a lolcow, even if you don't necessarily think so yourself, and that is the fact that you can milk them for lulz/content.
A millionaire can be a lolcow, just as someone on welfare benefits can be a lolcow. It's their behaviour and how people receive that behaviour.
I think millionaires are even more apt to become lolcows than those of lower socioeconomic simply because they have the disposable income to pursue their weirdest desires. I feel like back in the day Michael Jackson could have been considered a lolcow: building his own private amusement park, having a pet chimp, obtaining the elephant man's bones, bleaching his skin and shaving his nose down to nothing -- he was constantly doing bizarre things for all to see.
We're seeing more lolcows now because it's never been easier to make your life public. Pick your favorite lolcow, and I'm sure there have
always been people doing what they do -- we just get to see it now because they broadcast their antics for us.