The channel had previously gone undetected for several months.
The widespread availability of generative artificial intelligence since late 2022 has had an outsized impact on popular social media platforms in a way that neither consumers nor operators are often sufficiently prepared to deal with.
AI-generated videos specifically have permeated YouTube's algorithms. While the technology has mostly been used on the platform for comparatively harmless means like altering existing content without the creator's consent or generating fake crowds to feign popularity, there are also some more disturbing AI niches, as exemplified by the channel "Woman Shot AI".
AI-enabled Violent Fantasies
As first reported by 404 Media on September 22, 2025, there were 27 videos uploaded to the channel, which contained exactly what one could surmise based on its name. "Woman Shot AI" had been active since June 20, 2025 and was only taken down by the platform's moderation team after 404 Media had reached out to the company for comment.
Its content usually consisted of short-form AI-generated videos of a woman begging for her life before being shot by a man, with the effects depicted in graphic detail. Apparently serving different audiences, the videos specified the age (e.g. "schoolgirl"), ethnicity (e.g. "Ukrainian, shot by Russian soldiers") or bullet entry point (e.g. "shot in breast"). Some also featured video game characters like Lara Croft or Claire Redfield.
The channel owner even gathered feedback from his audience, which had netted him over 175,000 views for the short time span the channel was live, in the form of polls, asking viewers which types of women they would like to see being shot next. According to a YouTube spokesperson, a ban had been issued to the creator before.
Not An Isolated Case
While AI-generated video has some generally accepted use cases, like depicting intentionally abstract imagery – for music videos, for example – or approximating historic events for which there is no real footage, the technology has already been abused to create videos of fake scenarios to stoke anger or fear for political purposes, to sexually harass others or – like in this case – to produce snuff films.
While it could be argued that it may be preferable to satisfy the existing demand for snuff films with AI-generated footage instead of real homicides, the fact that AI can be used to make such content more easily accessible is a justified cause for concern. Same goes for the fact that YouTube's systems apparently failed to detect the channel on their own.
"Woman Shot AI" used Google's Veo 3 model, which the company claims to have safeguards in place to prevent certain types of videos from being generated through it. These types of models have been proven to be susceptible to exploits though and some users are willing to go to extreme lengths to take advantage of them. For example, one of the final community posts of "Woman Shot AI" read:
"The AI I use is paid, per account I have to spend around 300 dollars per month, even though 1 account can only generate 8-second videos 3 times."