Researchers warn violent AI fruit and vegetable clips on TikTok could radicalise children

The clips are easily accessible on social media platforms (Picture: AFP) Seemingly harmless clips of AI fruits and vegetables are spreading across the internet – but pose a serious threat to children. AI videos of fruits and vegetables committing gory acts of violence are spreading extremist agendas on TikTok and have ‘radicalising potential’ for young people, researchers have warned. It’s 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. Yep, that really happened. These new, very disturbing clips are circumventing the social media platform’s moderation policies that prohibit extreme violent material, the Global Network on Extremism and Technology (GNET) said. 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’, the report said. The violent content is part of a rise of artificial intelligence-generated clips of anthropomorphic foods that play out melodramatic romance, betrayal and scandal plots. 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.’ 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. 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. 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. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source

AI videos of fruits and vegetables committing gory acts of violence are spreading extremist agendas on TikTok and have "radicalising potential" for young people, researchers have warned.

AI videos of fruit and vegetable characters unleashing gory violence are spreading extremist ideas and helping normalise graphic violence, researchers claim.