A Facebook page called “DEATH FROM LAUGHING” is generating millions of views on videos generated entirely by artificial intelligence (AI). The videos are also receiving thousands of comments, and based on a significant portion of them, it is noted that users consider the content to be harmless.
The publications are mainly about social topics, they provoke emotions and even debates among commentators. In some cases, the publications do not have an explanation that they were created with AI, while there are cases when they have a description added at the end that the content was created with the help of artificial intelligence. According to the site, these publications are created for informational and entertainment purposes (see here).
Many of the videos call for feedback from users.
Examples:
One of them shows a child doing a project on a tree. “I’ve been working on it for 2 months now, but no one liked it, if it doesn’t bother me I would just like a little encouragement from you, tell me bravo” is the description that appears in the video. This content has generated more than 6600 comments. Among them, it is noticeable that there are people who have taken the claim for granted, while there are also commenters who have said that they understand that it is AI. After verification through the AI content verification platform, “Hivemoderation” results that the content is generated with AI.
In another case, it was said that the story does not depict real people or events. The video, which allegedly tells the story of a man who divorced his wife because she did not love his mother, has received about 2 million views. In the description of videos, the page also asks questions, which commenters answer. The content has received around 3200 comments and more than 23 likes.
The page has at least 10 posts that have generated more than a million views each.
Of these, four do not have any description at all that they are generated with AI. But even those that have this description at the end of the content have generated comments that imply that they took the video for granted (see here)
The page has published dozens of similar videos, which have collectively generated millions of additional views.
What is engagement bait?
“Engagement bait” is a technique used on social media to artificially encourage reactions such as likes, comments or shares. This is done through direct calls to action such as “like if you agree”, “comment YES or NO” or by asking direct questions. The goal is to increase the visibility of the content in the algorithms, not necessarily to provide valuable information (here).
Hibrid.info urges readers not to fall prey to this type of content. It is important for users to be wary of materials that evoke strong emotions and demand interaction, as they may be part of strategies that aim to artificially increase visibility and interaction, distorting the way users perceive and interact with content on social networks.