Researchers have warned that AI-generated videos of fruits and vegetables committing gory acts of violence are spreading extremist agendas on TikTok and have 'radicalising potential' for young people.
The Global Network on Extremism and Technology (GNET) said these disturbing clips are circumventing the social media platform's moderation policies that prohibit extreme violent material. Masked by a seemingly cute aesthetic, some videos carry messages from extremist organisations such as the Islamic State, extreme right groups, and feature 'nihilistic violence extremism'.
Rise of AI food violence
The violent content is part of a rise of AI-generated clips of anthropomorphic foods that play out melodramatic romance, betrayal and scandal plots. This is a far cry from the viral clips earlier this year which showed a soap-opera style storyline of strawberries and bananas dealing with paternity drama.
Experts from GNET said: 'Violence-based AI slops reinforce a fascination with violence for violence's sake, thereby allowing the so-called online 'ode to violence' to progressively gain ground among young people within the digital space. More concerning, however, is the escalation from absurdist AI-generated drama into explicitly graphic content.'
Normalisation of cruelty
The radicalising potential of these videos isn't just in the ideology, GNET warned – but the normalisation of cruelty. 'The transition from harmless surreal humour to graphic AI gore reflects a broader dynamic of online radicalisation: the gradual erosion of emotional boundaries through constant exposure to increasingly violent and dehumanising imagery,' they added.
Animated foods use guns and axes to kill their enemies in some videos, while other videos are linked to specific criminal groups. One disturbing example seen by Metro shows a potato holding a knife as a carrot is tied to a tree. The potato then took the weapon and slit the carrot open as blood poured out of it.
Extremist references
Another features a 'Carrot Khalifah' telling his army 'the Carrot State will rise again', which experts said evokes an infamous slogan used by IS. Two IS posts included hashtags often used by the terrorist group's supporters to disseminate propaganda.
The report also highlighted an account that shares violent fruit and vegetable AI content and also references neo-Nazi terrorist organisation Atomwaffen Division, as well as the nihilistic violence subculture No Lives Matter.
Call for countermeasures
Comments on the content include statements of extreme right-wing ideology, researchers said, with the message 'potato supremacy' referring to white supremacy. The team raised fears that users may 'stumble' on the terror material and approach membership in the online ecosystems.
The authors called on TikTok to develop 'countermeasures' to effectively limit such AI-generated content. Metro has contacted TikTok for comment.
