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Dozens of YouTube Channels Are Showing AI-Generated Cartoon Gore and Fetish Content
A WIRED investigation found that dozens of YouTube channels are using generative AI to depict cartoon cats and minions being beaten, starved, and sexualized—sparking fears of a new Elsagate wave.
“Beware the minion in the night, a shadow soul no end in sight,” an AI-sounding narrator sings, as the monstrous creature, now lurking in a swimming pool, sneaks up behind a screaming child before crunching them, mercilessly, between its teeth. Its themes feel eerily reminiscent of what, in 2017, became known as Elsagate, where hundreds of thousands of videos emerged on YouTube depicting children’s characters like Elsa from Frozen, Spider-Man, and Peppa Pig involved in perilous, sexual, and abusive situations. Originally posted on a community tab of two now-suspended channels, they appear to show an office environment in what looks to be Asia, with young workers sitting at computer desks, making hearts with their fingers in typical workplace camaraderie.
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