AI-generated violent extremist content
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The rise of generative artificial intelligence has seen the technology employed to create content promoting violence, terrorist attacks, and mass killings. In 2025–2026, experts observed a trend toward using readily available AI tools to produce video content that normalizes violence and targets young audiences on social media platforms.[1][2]
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Forms of extremist AI-generated content
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Use of Viggle AI
[edit]A 2026 article published by the Global Network on Extremism and Technology described a trend involving the use of Viggle AI to create videos of mass murderers dancing at the locations of their attacks. associated with their attacks, often alongside references to the demographic targeted by the attack and the number of people killed. According to the article, videos such as these, while not outright inciting murder, contribute to the normalization of violence.[1]
Fruit and vegetable gore content
[edit]One "genre" of AI-generated violent extremist content involves videos of anthropomorphic fruits and vegetables being subjected to violence, torture, and hyper-realistic killings, while using aesthetics that feature bright colors, cartoon characters and Pixar-style animation to conceal the disturbing nature of the content.[3]
2026 Tumbler Ridge shooting
[edit]The perpetrator of the 2026 Tumbler Ridge shooting, eighteen-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, had extensively described various scenarios involving gun violence to ChatGPT before the shooting.[4][5] The interactions were flagged as "gun violence activity and planning" by OpenAI's automated abuse detection system, and a security team recommended notifying Canadian law enforcement after reviewing the logs, viewing them as indicative of an "imminent risk of serious harm to others."[6]
OpenAI's management rejected the security team's recommendation, suspending Van Rootselaar’s account for violating the company's terms of service but choosing to not contact law enforcement because they assessed the conversations to not meet their threshold of a "credible and imminent" threat.[7]
After being blocked, Van Rootselaar created a second account and continued her conversations with ChatGPT; this account was not detected by OpenAI until after the attack took place.[6][7]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 Lucini, Silvano Rizieri (2026-02-26). "An 'Ode to Violence': Extremist Exploitation of Viggle AI". GNET. Retrieved 2026-08-25.
- ↑ "AI and Extremist Propaganda: An Assessment".
- ↑ Pugnana, Alessandra (2026-08-10). "Fruit, Vegetable, and Brain Rot: The Use of Generative AI to Produce Violence-Based Viral Trends". GNET. Retrieved 2026-08-25.
- ↑ Herberhold, Allizandra (2026-05-01). "The 'True Crime Community Stoplight Model': Understanding Digital Pathways and Tumbler Ridge". GNET. Retrieved 2026-08-25.
- ↑ Varga, Michael (2026-07-09). "The Counterterrorism Blind Spot: AI as a Radicalisation Environment". GNET. Retrieved 2026-08-25.
- 1 2 Duffy, Clare (2026-04-29). "Families of Tumbler Ridge shooting victims sue OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman | CNN Business". CNN. Retrieved 2026-08-25.
- 1 2 "OpenAI vows safety policy changes after Tumbler Ridge shooting". www.bbc.com. 2026-02-27. Retrieved 2026-08-25.