AI-generated elder death videos rack up 32M views on Meta platforms

AI-generated videos showing elderly people falling to their deaths from glass bridges have gone viral across Meta’s platforms, garnering millions of views despite their disturbing content. The phenomenon represents a new wave of AI-generated “slop” content that prioritizes engagement over human connection, highlighting how social media has become an entertainment platform rather than a space for genuine social interaction.

What you should know: These AI-generated videos follow a consistent formula of showing people—often elderly or racially stereotyped characters—deliberately breaking glass-bottom bridges, causing others to fall to their deaths.
• One video posted to X (formerly Twitter) received over 32 million views, showing an elderly woman jumping backward through glass panels while a golden retriever saves a drowning baby below.
• Most videos on Facebook lack AI-generated content disclaimers, with captions like “Is that real? Glass bridge accident” designed to maximize engagement through shock value.
• The videos typically feature either “horrible tragedy or sentimental euphoria” as their conclusion, following proven viral content formulas.

The bigger picture: This trend exemplifies “dead internet theory,” which suggests that most online content since 2016 has been artificially generated rather than authentic human interaction.
• The theory claims social media has become so commodified that content engagement takes priority over genuine human connection.
• Mark Zuckerberg, Meta’s CEO, confirmed this shift in antitrust testimony, stating that “the friend part has gone down quite a bit” on Facebook.

What Zuckerberg said: During antitrust proceedings, the Meta CEO acknowledged Facebook’s fundamental transformation from social platform to entertainment space.
• “The friend part has gone down quite a bit,” Zuckerberg testified, adding that Facebook’s core purpose “wasn’t really to connect with friends anymore.”
• This testimony was part of Meta’s defense against claims of holding an illegal social media monopoly.

Why this matters: The viral success of these morbid AI videos demonstrates how algorithmic engagement has replaced authentic social interaction on major platforms.
• As one X user noted after encountering the content: “the AI slop has escaped containment,” referring to how AI-generated content now dominates social media feeds.
• The phenomenon follows previous AI-generated viral trends including “Shrimp Jesus” and images of babies being eaten by fire ants, showing an escalating pattern of disturbing content designed purely for engagement.