A new wave of disturbing AI-generated cartoons is infiltrating YouTube‘s children’s content ecosystem, echoing the infamous 2017 Elsagate scandal. This investigation reveals dozens of channels using generative AI to create violent, grotesque, and inappropriate animations featuring popular characters like Minions and cartoon cats, raising alarms about content moderation failures and the potential psychological impact on young viewers.
The big picture: YouTube is facing a resurgence of inappropriate children’s content, this time powered by generative AI tools that make it easier to produce disturbing videos at scale.
- One channel called “Go Cat” markets itself as “fun and exciting” for kids while featuring animations depicting monstrous transformations, body horror, and predatory scenarios.
- These AI-generated videos have amassed millions of views despite containing content that experts describe as inappropriate and potentially harmful for children.
Echoes of the past: The current wave of AI-generated disturbing content strongly resembles the 2017 Elsagate phenomenon, when YouTube was flooded with videos showing beloved children’s characters in violent and sexual situations.
- The key difference today is that generative AI allows creators to produce this problematic content more efficiently and at greater volume than was possible six years ago.
- The algorithmic nature of both YouTube’s recommendation system and these AI generators creates a troubling feedback loop that can amplify disturbing content.
What they’re saying: Child safety experts express significant concern about these AI-generated videos reaching young audiences.
- “We are deeply concerned about the proliferation of AI-generated content that appears to target kids and contains deeply inappropriate material,” said Robbie Torney of Common Sense Media.
- Torney emphasized that “The rapid evolution of AI technology demands that all stakeholders—platforms, content creators, parents, and organizations like ours—work together to ensure kids’ exposure to online video content is safe and positive.”
Why this matters: The combination of AI generation tools, algorithmic recommendation systems, and insufficient content moderation creates new challenges for protecting children online.
- These videos often bypass YouTube’s automated moderation systems by using characters that appeal to children while incorporating disturbing elements that may not be easily detected by AI filters.
- The scale and speed at which these videos can be produced makes traditional content moderation approaches increasingly ineffective.
The bigger challenge: This issue highlights the growing tension between the rapid advancement of generative AI capabilities and the slower evolution of effective content governance frameworks.
- Platform policies and moderation tools designed for human-created content struggle to keep pace with the unique characteristics and volume of AI-generated material.
- Without more sophisticated detection systems and clearer policies specifically addressing AI content, similar problems may continue to emerge across digital platforms.
Recent Stories
DOE fusion roadmap targets 2030s commercial deployment as AI drives $9B investment
The Department of Energy has released a new roadmap targeting commercial-scale fusion power deployment by the mid-2030s, though the plan lacks specific funding commitments and relies on scientific breakthroughs that have eluded researchers for decades. The strategy emphasizes public-private partnerships and positions AI as both a research tool and motivation for developing fusion energy to meet data centers' growing electricity demands. The big picture: The DOE's roadmap aims to "deliver the public infrastructure that supports the fusion private sector scale up in the 2030s," but acknowledges it cannot commit to specific funding levels and remains subject to Congressional appropriations. Why...
Oct 17, 2025Tying it all together: Credo’s purple cables power the $4B AI data center boom
Credo, a Silicon Valley semiconductor company specializing in data center cables and chips, has seen its stock price more than double this year to $143.61, following a 245% surge in 2024. The company's signature purple cables, which cost between $300-$500 each, have become essential infrastructure for AI data centers, positioning Credo to capitalize on the trillion-dollar AI infrastructure expansion as hyperscalers like Amazon, Microsoft, and Elon Musk's xAI rapidly build out massive computing facilities. What you should know: Credo's active electrical cables (AECs) are becoming indispensable for connecting the massive GPU clusters required for AI training and inference. The company...
Oct 17, 2025Vatican launches Latin American AI network for human development
The Vatican hosted a two-day conference bringing together 50 global experts to explore how artificial intelligence can advance peace, social justice, and human development. The event launched the Latin American AI Network for Integral Human Development and established principles for ethical AI governance that prioritize human dignity over technological advancement. What you should know: The Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, the Vatican's research body for social issues, organized the "Digital Rerum Novarum" conference on October 16-17, combining academic research with practical AI applications. Participants included leading experts from MIT, Microsoft, Columbia University, the UN, and major European institutions. The conference...