We spoke to the man making viral Lego-style AI videos for Iran. Experts say it's powerful propaganda
"Slopaganda" is too weak a term to capture how powerful this "highly sophisticated" content is, one expert says.
Coverage by Political Leaning
See how different sides of the spectrum reported this story
Notable Quotes
""Slopaganda" - coined in an academic paper last year as a play on 'AI slop' - is too weak a term to capture how powerful this "highly sophisticated" content is."
— Dr Emma Briant , Academic
""Possibly there was no lost pilot, there was no rescue operation. Their main goal was to steal uranium from Iran.""
— Mr Explosive , Executive
""Only 13% of what Mr Trump says is based on facts.""
— Mr Explosive , Executive
"This is a propaganda war for them."
— Neil Lavie-Driver , Academic
"They’re using popular culture against the No. 1 pop culture country, the United States."
— Nancy Snow , Academic
"If you’re able to have the bandwidth needed to generate content like that and upload it, you are officially or unofficially cooperating with the regime."
— Mahsa Alimardani , Academic
"This is a propaganda war for them."
— Neil Lavie-Driver , Academic
"They’re using popular culture against the No. 1 pop culture country, the United States."
— Nancy Snow , Academic
"If you’re able to have the bandwidth needed to generate content like that and upload it, you are officially or unofficially cooperating with the regime."
— Mahsa Alimardani , Academic
"Iran has crafted a wartime propaganda strategy tailored for the age of AI slop and algorithmic amplification."
— Joseph Bodnar , Academic
"Trump Always Chickens Out"
— Mr Trump , Politician
""Slopaganda" - coined in an academic paper last year as a play on 'AI slop' - is too weak a term to capture how powerful this "highly sophisticated" content is."
— Dr Emma Briant , Academic
""Possibly there was no lost pilot, there was no rescue operation. Their main goal was to steal uranium from Iran.""
— Mr Explosive , Executive
""Only 13% of what Mr Trump says is based on facts.""
— Mr Explosive , Executive
"The meme magic era Trump rode in on is long gone."
— Jake Hanrahan , Other
Key People
Benjamin Netanyahu is the prime minister of Israel.
Former president of the United States known for his aggressive economic policies.
Leading propaganda expert.
African American man whose death sparked nationwide protests against racial injustice.
The founder of Popular Front, an independent news outlet focused on conflict reporting.
Joseph Bodnar is a senior research manager at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue.
A researcher specialising in Iran at the Oxford Internet Institute.
Representative of Explosive Media, creating AI-generated propaganda.
Former President of the United States who promised to lower energy prices and boost domestic oil production.
A scholar who has written extensively on propaganda.
An AI researcher at the University of Cambridge.
Pete Hegseth is the United States Secretary of Defense.
Tags
All Coverage
"Slopaganda" is too weak a term to capture how powerful this "highly sophisticated" content is, one expert says.
Pro-Iran groups have created AI-generated, Lego-style memes in English to shape narratives during the conflict with the U.S. and Israel. These memes, often satirical and steeped in American pop culture, aim to influence public opinion in the West by portraying U.S. political figures negatively.
A YouTube channel known for posting AI-generated Lego-style videos targeting Donald Trump has been taken down for 'violent content.' The creators question the reason behind the ban, highlighting the complexities of AI-generated satire and platform moderation.
An in-depth look at Explosive Media, the group behind AI-generated Lego-style videos mocking U.S. figures, highlighting their impact as a form of sophisticated propaganda.
An analysis of how Iran's AI-generated Lego-style videos effectively countered U.S. online propaganda during the recent conflict.
Coverage of the takedown of an Iranian YouTube channel producing AI-generated Lego-style videos mocking Trump, raising questions about content moderation.
Following the announcement of a U.S.-Iran ceasefire, an Iranian group released a new Lego-style video mocking President Donald Trump and declaring 'Iran won.' This is part of a series of AI-generated propaganda videos flooding the internet, with Iranian state media and diplomatic accounts amplifying the content.
Pro-Iran groups have utilized AI-generated memes to influence public opinion during the U.S.-Israel conflict, with sophisticated content portraying U.S. political figures negatively. Analysts believe these efforts are backed by the Iranian government, given the content's sophistication and Iran's restricted internet access.
Explosive Media, a group producing AI-generated, pro-Iran videos styled after Lego animations, had its YouTube account suspended for 'violent content.' The group's accounts on other platforms remain active, and they question the classification of their content as violent.
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