An international network of spammers is posting AI-generated images of Holocaust victims on Facebook, a BBC investigation into AI slop has found.
Organizations dedicated to preserving the memory of the Holocaust say the images are leaving survivors and families distressed. They have also criticized Facebook's parent company Meta for allowing users on its platform to turn the atrocity into an emotional game. There are only a handful of genuine photos from inside the Auschwitz concentration camp during World War Two.
However, in recent months, AI spammers have posted fake images purporting to be from inside the camp, such as a prisoner playing a violin or lovers meeting at the boundaries of fences - attracting tens of thousands of likes and shares.
Pawel Sawicki, a spokesperson for the Auschwitz Memorial, stated, Here we have somebody making up the stories… for some kind of strange emotional game that is happening on social media. This is not a game. This is real suffering and real people that we want to commemorate.
The BBC investigation highlights that many of the images originate from a network of content creators in Pakistan collaborating to profit from Meta's content monetisation program. One user claimed earnings of $20,000 from these misleading posts.
While these accounts typically engage in spamming low-quality AI-generated images, the timeline of posts often leads to confusion among audiences and violates principles of genuine historical representation. As stated by the Auschwitz Memorial, such images are a dangerous distortion and disrespectful to the memories of Holocaust victims.
In response to inquiries from the BBC, Meta stated that while the images did not violate content policies, they had removed certain fake profiles that impersonated others and violated rules against spam behavior. The growing trend raises concerns about misinformation and the commodification of tragic historical narratives, particularly as the last Holocaust survivors pass away.
