Racist videos generated by Google’s AI video creation tool Veo 3 have amassed millions of views on TikTok, according to a recent investigation by Media Matters, a non-profit media watchdog.
These AI-produced videos are saturated with derogatory stereotypes, particularly targeting Black individuals. One such video garnered an astonishing 14.2 million views. Media Matters identified the videos as being created using Google Veo 3 due to the visible “Veo” watermark in the corner of the clips.
Some users explicitly referenced Veo 3 or AI in their hashtags, captions, or usernames. The identified clips were precisely eight seconds long or comprised multiple segments, each not exceeding eight seconds, aligning with Veo 3’s known eight-second generation limit.
Google launched Veo 3 in May, allowing users to generate AI video clips and audio using a text prompt. The company’s official website states its commitment to “block harmful requests and results.” TikTok’s community guidelines also prohibit “hate speech and hateful behavior,” affirming that the platform will not recommend content containing negative stereotypes.
In response to the findings, TikTok spokesperson Ariane de Selliers stated, “We proactively enforce robust rules against hateful speech and behavior and have removed the accounts we identified in the report, many of which were already banned prior to the report publishing.”
The Verge discovered some problematic videos on YouTube, albeit with fewer views, while Wired independently located comparable racist AI-generated content on Instagram. Media Matters also found videos containing antisemitic content and racist portrayals of immigrants and Asian individuals.
Google has not yet provided a comment regarding the issue.
