- YouTube has been fighting a battle against inappropriate content targeted at children for years now.
- The latest wave of problematic videos combines cutesy AI characters with nightmare scenarios.
- YouTube is trying to enforce is policies against such violators, but the low barrier for creating new content makes that a constant struggle.
YouTube may either be the most useful resource ever for parents looking to keep children entertained, or a dangerous cesspool callously exposing vulnerable young minds to content intended to traumatize. That’s going to depend not just on who you ask, but what’s going on in the latest headlines.
For years now, we’ve seen cycles of YouTube implementing new policies and technical measures aimed at keeping kids safe, only for creators to find disturbing new ways to target child audiences. Now the latest to find the spotlight is some AI-powered nightmare fuel, featuring Minions, Thomas the Tank Engine, some Cronenberg-worthy body horror, and — this being the internet, and all — a whole lot of cats.