AI-generated 'bikini interview' videos flood social media with sexist content
AI-generated deepfake videos depicting sexualized fake interviews have proliferated on Instagram and other social media platforms, reaching tens of millions of views. The videos, created using Google's Veo 3 video generator, depict misogynistic scenarios and are part of a monetized trend that experts describe as AI-mediated gendered harm fueling sexism online.
What happened
Hundreds of AI-generated videos featuring bikini-clad women conducting street interviews have flooded Instagram and other social media platforms, many in Hindi. The videos depict male interviewees delivering misogynistic and sexualized remarks, sometimes even appearing to grab the women, while crowds of men gawk or laugh in the background.
Cybersecurity firm GetReal Security traced these videos to Google's Veo 3 AI video generator, known for creating hyper-realistic visuals. The trend has spawned a cottage industry of AI influencers mass-producing sexualized content, often driven by platform incentive programs that financially reward viral content.
Reported impact
Many videos accumulated tens of millions of views on Instagram. Some were further monetized by promoting an adult chat app to 'make new female friends,' with the fabricated clips so lifelike that some users questioned whether the featured women were real.
A cyber psychologist based in India characterized the trend as 'AI-mediated gendered harm,' stating that 'misogyny that usually stayed hidden in locker room chats and groups is now being dressed up as AI visuals' and 'fueling sexism.'
Index analysis
The videos represent a broader trend of mass-produced AI content drowning out authentic posts and blurring the line between fiction and reality on social media platforms. The trend highlights how AI tools are increasingly used to flood social media with sexist content at scale.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.