Researchers have reported that TikTok users are generating a series of bizarre conspiracy theories about the apocalypse, ranging from man-eating monsters and vampires to asteroid threats.
According to NDTV, citing a report from the nonprofit organization Media Matters on trends, TikTok users are attempting to monetize viral videos that make unfounded claims about the U.S. government secretly capturing or storing mythical creatures, including King Kong.
Illustration of the Apocalypse: NDTV.
These videos often feature eerie background music and an urgent voice generated by artificial intelligence (AI), sometimes mimicking the voice of celebrities. Such videos attract millions of views. “We are all going to die in the next few years. Have you heard about this?” a voice posing as broadcaster Joe Rogan says in a widely circulated TikTok video.
“An asteroid is about to collide with Earth,” the voice in the video claims, adding that this information was revealed by a U.S. government official who stumbled upon a pair of classified documents.
According to Abbie Richards, a misinformation researcher at TikTok, these conspiracy theory videos are often posted by anonymous accounts and usually display recognizable AI-generated image artifacts like extra fingers and distortions. She further noted that promoting such theories can yield financial rewards for the poster.
“The Creator Fund” of TikTok is designed to pay content creators on the platform. Abbie stated that this program has given rise to an industry of conspiracy theory videos supported by AI tools, such as text-to-speech applications.
A TikTok spokesperson asserted that “conspiracy theories do not qualify for monetization or recommendations” in user feeds. “Harmful misinformation is prohibited, and our safety team actively removes 95% of that content before it is reported.”
However, guidelines on other platforms like YouTube have shown users how to create viral conspiracy theory videos and profit from TikTok’s Creator Fund. One public guide instructs users to start by fabricating something outrageous, like “scientists just caught hiding a saber-toothed tiger.”
In the United States, where TikTok has 170 million users—nearly half the population—lawmakers last week supported a bill to ban TikTok. U.S. policymakers have repeatedly expressed concerns over TikTok’s alleged ties to the Chinese government, user data safety, and its apparent impact on national security.
