An international network of spammers are posting AI-generated images of Holocaust victims on Facebook, a BBC investigation into AI slop has found.
Organisations dedicated to preserving the memory of the Holocaust say the images are leaving survivors and families distressed. They have also criticised Facebook's parent company Meta, indicating it allows users on its platform to turn the atrocity into an emotional game.
Recent months have seen a troubling increase in fake images purporting to be from Auschwitz, attracting tens of thousands of likes and shares. Pawel Sawicki, a spokesperson for the Auschwitz Memorial, remarked, Here we have somebody making up the stories… for some kind of strange emotional game that is happening on social media. This is not a game. This is a real world, real suffering and real people that we want to and need to commemorate.
These posts often depict fictional stories, such as a prisoner playing a violin or lovers meeting across fences, deepening the distress among those connected to the real victims of the Holocaust.
The BBC identified many of these images originating from a network of Pakistan-based content creators gaming Meta's content monetization program. For instance, one account claimed to have earned $20,000 by posting sensationalized content, leading to fabricated narratives surrounding supposed Holocaust victims.
The report further indicates these networks of creators promote low-quality, spam-like content - a phenomenon dubbed AI slop - in an effort to exploit social media algorithms for profit.
As the Auschwitz Museum has pointed out, these troubling images contribute to a narrative distortion that disrespects victims and harasses their memory. Survivors and education advocates express concerns over confusion and sadness regarding these representations, emphasizing the need for accurate portrayal as the last witnesses to these atrocities are fading.
Meta has taken down some of the identified profiles, claiming they violated policies surrounding impersonation and inauthentic behavior, but the underlying issue of content monetization remains a pertinent danger as the online landscape continues to evolve rapidly.
Organisations dedicated to preserving the memory of the Holocaust say the images are leaving survivors and families distressed. They have also criticised Facebook's parent company Meta, indicating it allows users on its platform to turn the atrocity into an emotional game.
Recent months have seen a troubling increase in fake images purporting to be from Auschwitz, attracting tens of thousands of likes and shares. Pawel Sawicki, a spokesperson for the Auschwitz Memorial, remarked, Here we have somebody making up the stories… for some kind of strange emotional game that is happening on social media. This is not a game. This is a real world, real suffering and real people that we want to and need to commemorate.
These posts often depict fictional stories, such as a prisoner playing a violin or lovers meeting across fences, deepening the distress among those connected to the real victims of the Holocaust.
The BBC identified many of these images originating from a network of Pakistan-based content creators gaming Meta's content monetization program. For instance, one account claimed to have earned $20,000 by posting sensationalized content, leading to fabricated narratives surrounding supposed Holocaust victims.
The report further indicates these networks of creators promote low-quality, spam-like content - a phenomenon dubbed AI slop - in an effort to exploit social media algorithms for profit.
As the Auschwitz Museum has pointed out, these troubling images contribute to a narrative distortion that disrespects victims and harasses their memory. Survivors and education advocates express concerns over confusion and sadness regarding these representations, emphasizing the need for accurate portrayal as the last witnesses to these atrocities are fading.
Meta has taken down some of the identified profiles, claiming they violated policies surrounding impersonation and inauthentic behavior, but the underlying issue of content monetization remains a pertinent danger as the online landscape continues to evolve rapidly.
