Disturbing AI Videos Infiltrate YouTube, Alarming Parents

According to a recent report, parents are raising concerns over the proliferation of disturbing AI-generated videos being recommended to their children on YouTube. Liz Guilar, a mother from Australia, says she was "flooded" with "horrifying" content after setting up an account for her one and three-year-old children, including videos with "melting faces, disappearing limbs, and inadvertently created monsters."

To investigate the issue, AI expert Jeremy Carrasco conducted an experiment by creating a fake account and simulating the streaming habits of a child. He claims the platform's algorithm was still recommending disturbing content, including videos depicting cartoonish child abuse, grotesque surgeries, and sexual behavior. Carrasco believes YouTube should be able to identify when a child is watching and adjust its recommendations accordingly.

While YouTube states the flagged videos do not appear in the YouTube Kids app, the company has disabled several channels found to be in violation of community guidelines. Experts warn that young children may have difficulty distinguishing fiction from reality, and exposure to such content could be psychologically harmful. The current problem is the latest iteration of YouTube's ongoing struggle to curb the spread of inappropriate videos aimed at children.