Leave it to the magic acts to leave the judges gobsmacked! America’s Got Talent has a history of presenting viewers with some of the world’s most extraordinary magicians. Whether taking classic techniques or elevating them into something new, when a trick is pulled off flawlessly, it becomes a moment. But one illusionist has blown the judges’ minds. He goes by the moniker of Mastermind.
During the fourth night of Season 20 auditions, Mastermind came in and caused chaos with a glitch in the system. A video introduced him, sharing that he was the result of artificial intelligence, making him the perfect modern-day magician.
He didn’t even step on the AGT stage. He went straight to the judges and performed his act in their faces. Shielded by a mask and a voice changer, his menacing presence spooked the panel in every way possible. After demanding Howie Mandel‘s cell phone, the first trick began. Hacking, illusion, and the power of AI became a gag-worthy AGT moment we’ll speak about for years.
Mastermind Is “Epic, Spectacular, Scary, Amazing”
Mastermind demonstrated his full power through his mind-blowing act. After having Sofía Vergara hold Howie’s phone, Mastermind broke through and unlocked the phone to access the camera. Then, he tasked her to point the camera at Mel B.‘s hands as she held Simon Cowell‘s glasses. And then, just like that, as Simon pointed and shifted his fingers upward on the screen, they lifted in the palm of her hands! Simon was already on his feet.
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For the second act, he used the AI assistant on Howie’s phone to bring it into the real world. Howie was asked to give the AI assistant a three-word command: “Write any sentence.” Mastermind had a random row of audience members think of a positive word. They selected the following: “Many achievements start through endurance, resilience, manifest, inspirational nurture dreams.” The sentence was exactly what the AI generated. Oh, and to make it even better, it spelled out Mastermind. The entire room was on their feet as Howie called the act, “Truly epic, spectacular, scary, amazing.” Noting how it was interactive, Sophia called it “different from anything that we’ve ever seen.” And Simon confirmed, despite those who might think otherwise, they were not in on it.
AGT has played host to some of the best magicians and illusionists. Not every monumental act won, like fan-favorite Piff the Magic Dragon, but they have since had an impact on why it’s necessary to level up your audition season after season. Three magicians have won AGT. Leading the pack was the first magician ever to win, Mat Franco, winner of Season 9. During Season 16, Dustin Tavella found victory. But perhaps the ultimate magician title belongs to Shin Lim. Not only did he win Season 13, but he also returned for America’s Got Talent: The Champions and won again! He earned the title of “Best in the World.” Will Mastermind be added to this illustrious group? Stay tuned and find out!
America’s Got Talent airs Tuesdays at 8:00pm on NBC. All episodes are available to stream on NBC.