# [How AI Stole the ✨ Sparkles ✨ Emoji](https://youtube.com/watch?v=g-pG79LOtMw) – David Imel <div class=iframe-container> <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/g-pG79LOtMw?si=bc2by8cnzNVgBaIo" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe> </div> A little YouTube algorithm rabbitholing landed me on this [PetaPixel podcast with David Imel](https://youtube.com/watch?v=p7P4nAQW1ow), co-host of MKBHD's Waveform podcast and one of/the channel researcher. They were talking about the [Sigma BF](https://youtube.com/watch?v=N3aWpngPnFI) camera which is pretty, but doesn't seem very functional. Any way, while reading the description of that video, I noticed that David had his *own* [YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/@DavidImel). One tap later and I see the last video he uploaded was about this quest to find out how the sparkle emoji (✨) became *the* emoji to represent AI. David does a deep dive here; like all the way back to the creation of emoji deep. I enjoyed the framing and the set design. It was warm, creative, and not distracting. David strikes me as someone who wants to share as much information as possible with his audience. The video is dense and entertaining. I particularly enjoyed the practical shots of things that could have easily been digital, like filming a web call interview off-screen with a beautiful angle or printing out original emoji submittals as a prop. It's a level of care I admire. Also, the story itself is a good lesson in how culture changes the meaning of language over time. It's a fun one that I recommend giving a watch.