Google AI Used To Create Graphic Violence on YouTube
Content warning: This article contains descriptions and images of AI-generated graphic violence.
Disturbing AI-Generated Content Surfaces on YouTube
YouTube has removed a channel dedicated to posting AI-generated videos that depicted women being shot in the head. The action was taken after 404 Media contacted the platform for comment. The videos were unmistakably created with Google’s new AI video generator, Veo, as evidenced by a watermark in the bottom right corner of each clip.
The channel, named “Woman Shot A.I,” was launched on June 20, 2025. In its short existence, it uploaded 27 videos, amassed over 1,000 subscribers, and garnered more than 175,000 views, according to its public data.
The Graphic Nature of the AI Videos
Every video on the channel adhered to a disturbing and repetitive formula. The nearly photo-realistic clips showed a woman pleading for her life as a man aimed a gun at her, before shooting her. The channel featured various violent themes in its compilations, with titles such as “Japanese Schoolgirls Shot in Breast,” “Sexy HouseWife Shot in Breast,” and “Female Reporter Tragic End.” Other videos included depictions of video game characters like Lara Croft being shot and Russian soldiers shooting women with Ukrainian flags on their chests.
The Creator's Investment and Intent
While it is unconfirmed if YouTube ran advertisements on these videos, the channel's creator paid to use Google's Veo and openly complained about the expense. In a public post, the owner wrote, “The AI I use is paid, per account I have to spend around 300 dollars per month, even though 1 account can only generate 8-second videos 3 times.” They explained the high cost of producing compilations, stating, “imagine how many times I generate a video once I upload, I just want to say that every time I upload a compilation consisting of several 8-second clips, it’s not enough for just 1 account.”
The owner claimed to operate 10 separate accounts, adding, “I have to spend quite a lot of money just to have fun.” The channel also engaged its audience with polls, asking subscribers to vote on the ethnicity of future victims, providing racist options including the N-word.
YouTube's Takedown and Policy Enforcement
Following the inquiry from 404 Media, YouTube removed the channel. A spokesperson for the platform stated that the channel was terminated for violating its Terms of Service. Specifically, the operator was found to be circumventing a previous ban, indicating this was not their first channel to be removed for policy violations.
The Failure of AI Safety Guardrails
In principle, Google's Veo should not permit the creation of videos depicting murder, but its safety guardrails clearly failed in this instance. Guardrails for generative AI tools, including various AI video generators, are often imperfect. There are entire online communities dedicated to finding ways of circumventing them.
A Google spokesperson responded, stating, “Our Gen AI tools are built to follow the prompts a user provides. We have clear policies around their use that we work to enforce, and the tools continually get better at reflecting these policies.”
The Broader Challenge of AI Slop
This incident is part of a larger problem facing YouTube. In July, the company announced it would take action against “mass-produced” AI-generated slop channels. However, as highlighted in a recent story about the flood of AI-generated “boring history” videos, the platform's enforcement efforts are still far from perfect.
