AI “whitewashes” Hitler. His “speeches” are a hit on TikTok
International media are raising alarm about the growing problem of spreading content generated by artificial intelligence on TikTok. Recently, a video with Adolf Hitler’s generated voice was published on the platform and went viral.
The material published on TikTok was in English and presented the criminal as a leader wrongly accused of war crimes. Although the video violated the platform’s terms of service and was ultimately removed, it was viewed by approximately one million people before it was removed.
Hitler’s speeches are a hit on TikTok
According to the German station ZDF, the text recorded using AI presented a speech in which Hitler stated that before the attack on Warsaw:
– Before we attacked Warsaw, I called for surrender five times. Everything was rejected! I asked that at least the women and children be sent back. (…) Everything was rejected and only then did I decide to do what was permitted by the law of war, reported the German station cited by PAP.
The speech was accompanied by uplifting music and a photo of Hitler with the words “Just listen” above it.
The AI-generated recording is in fact an exact translation of the speech that Adolf Hitler delivered on November 8, 1942 at the Loewenbraeukeller in Munich, ZDF reports.
However, to claim that he followed the laws of war is a distortion of the truth. “Incidentally, in the same speech in Munich, Hitler again announced the ‘extermination of the Jews in Europe.’ Of course, TikTok users were not informed about this, ZDF reported.
Hitler’s speeches on TikTok. AI bypasses security
The problem is not limited to just one recording – similar content appears regularly and bypasses moderation algorithms, including: by avoiding the direct use of Hitler’s name, which is replaced by terms such as “great painter”, and by using modern music.
– March music of the Third Reich and speeches of other Nazis, such as the Minister of Propaganda Joseph Goebbels, are also used – ZDF reported.
Media Matters for America confirmed that many of these videos are receiving positive reactions from viewers. TikTok users comment: “This changed my view of him” or “Maybe he wasn’t such a villain.”
These comments are a sign that these false narratives do influence the views of people, especially young people, who may not be aware of the full history of World War II and the Holocaust.
As The Forward notes, videos of Hitler’s speeches, even in subtly altered form, often promote him as either a victim or a heroic leader. This type of content is gaining popularity among people looking for alternative historical narratives.
The problem goes beyond Hitler and the Third Reich – similar techniques are used to spread content related to other historical figures, e.g. Osama bin Laden.
