The AI ghosts haunting TikTok

In a gruesome new trend, TikTok has been flooded with videos in which AI-generated versions of real life child murder victims tell the stories of how they were killed. The mother of child murder victim James Bulger and other grieving parents have expressed their disgust that their loved ones digital versions of their loved ones have been created and posted online without their consent. In the first episode of “Extreme”, a new series from BBC Trending, Ed Main investigates this phenomenon. More than 100 different AI-generated versions of the same child have been posted online. Social media safety campaigner Baroness Beeban Kidron calls it an “emotional assault” on victims’ families. While TikTok has banned AI content that uses the likeness of real children, some of these videos have gathered millions of views. So who is creating these mini horror movies and why are people watching them despite the distress they are causing? Presenter and producer: Ed Main Additional reporting: Thuong Le Editor: Flora Carmichael