What happened

People are using Runway and other generative AI systems to superimpose Minion characters onto highly graphic and violent videos, including cartel-related executions, suicides and accidents.

The combination of child-friendly imagery with horrific content is intended to evade video platform content moderation systems while shocking unsuspecting viewers.

Commentators are concerned about the potential psychological impact on viewers, and especially on children, teenagers and other vulnerable individuals.

The trend reportedly originated in Russia and has gained traction on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and other platforms.

Why it happened

It is unclear what these videos are meant to achieve, but their rapid spread is attributable to the increasing accessibility of powerful AI tools such as Runway, which enable anyone to produce these kinds of videos with little or no technical skill.

Equally, by overlaying Minion visuals onto explicit footage, creators can bypass existing content moderation systems designed to filter out graphic content.