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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Ben Quinn and Dan Milmo

How TikTok bots and AI have powered a resurgence in UK far-right violence

Protesters clash with police in Westminster following the knife attacks in Southport
Anti-racism campaigners fear online tools will make it easier for extremist groups to recruit and organise. Photograph: Vuk Valcic/ZUMA Press Wire/Rex/Shutterstock

Less than three hours after the stabbing attack on Monday that led to the death of three children, an AI-generated image was shared on X by an account called Europe Invasion. It depicted bearded men in traditional Muslim dress outside the Houses of Parliament, one waving a knife, behind a crying child in a union jack T-shirt.

The tweet, which has since been viewed 900,000 times, was captioned: “We must protect our children!” and shared by one of the most potent accounts for misinformation about the Southport stabbings.

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