More than a decade ago, the Islamic State released a disturbing propaganda video showing caged men being submerged in a pool. Today, that imagery has been recreated as an AI-generated SpongeBob cartoon, in which a fish wearing an orange jumpsuit is placed in a cage while SpongeBob lowers it into the water and Squidward records the scene.
Shared on TikTok, the video is part of what the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) describes as “slop jihad”—a growing trend in which young supporters of Islamic State and al-Qaeda use generative AI to produce fan edits, comics, memes, and animated videos aimed at attracting and radicalizing new online audiences.
According to a new ISD report shared exclusively with WIRED, the trend represents “a fundamental shift in the aesthetics of online jihadist propaganda.”
“The main concern is the increasing amount and variety of materials,” says Adam Hadley, executive director of a United Nations-backed counterterrorism organization that tracks developments in AI-generated extremist content. “Highly stylized, AI-generated material may make violent extremist propaganda more accessible to younger audiences while obscuring traditional terrorist branding. Users may encounter the glorification of perpetrators through fan edits, comics, memes, and other entertainment-focused formats. That engagement can then trigger algorithmic recommendations for more explicit propaganda.”
Islamic extremist groups have a long history of adapting their propaganda strategies. Research has documented their ability to move into new media environments, adopt emerging technologies, reach wider online audiences, and build decentralized propaganda networks. In the early 2020s, the alt-jihad movement adopted elements of the alt-right’s visual style in extremist content.
These organizations have also experimented with generative AI for several years. In 2024, the Islamic State’s “News Harvest” program began using AI-generated news presenters to distribute propaganda videos more quickly and cheaply.
However, today’s generative AI content is significantly different in both appearance and tone.
“This is new, it’s still growing, and it has by no means peaked,” said Mustafa Ayad, ISD’s research chair for global Islamism and counterterrorism. “There has always been low-quality content in extremist support networks, but it wasn’t SpongeBob SquarePants as Islamic State propaganda.”
Generative AI tools are also being used to transform official extremist material into animated videos quickly and at low cost. For example, one TikTok account created an animated version of the Islamic State’s weekly al-Naba newsletter.
The “slop jihad” trend has drawn criticism from some traditional supporters who reject its cartoon-focused aesthetic. “There seems to be animosity toward this content because some people do not believe its producers are true believers,” Ayad said, referring in part to reactions to the SpongeBob video. “But some accounts that previously shared official propaganda are now posting these newer videos. That suggests a complicated, love-hate relationship with slop jihad content.”
TikTok has become a central platform in extremist groups’ online messaging campaigns, with supporters attempting to exploit its recommendation algorithm to reach new viewers. A 2024 report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development identified TikTok as one of the 10 leading platforms used to circulate terrorist and violent extremist content.
Ayad identified a smaller number of “slop jihad” videos on Instagram and Facebook, but most appeared on TikTok. In total, researchers found 150 videos across 71 accounts, generating more than 5.4 million views. Ayad attributed the trend’s popularity to TikTok’s interest-based For You Page, advances in the platform’s generative AI tools, and an established online ecosystem that supports extremist content.
Source: www.wired.com