By: Claire Zhou

Many criminal cases involve children, including serious crimes like murder, torture, and abuse. However, a new trend has emerged where content creators use artificial intelligence to recreate the stories of deceased or missing children. They give these recreated figures “voices” to explain and share the details of what happened to them.

While these advancements in AI offer creative possibilities, they also raise concerns. Experts warn that such creations could lead to misinformation and hurt the feelings of the victims’ families. Despite this, some creators argue that these posts help raise awareness about these cases.

For instance, in a TikTok video, the story of James Bulger is recreated. He was a 2-year-old who was abducted and murdered in 1993. In the video, the childlike voice says, “Hello, my name is James Bulger,” and recounts how a small decision made by his mother led to his tragic fate. This incident deeply affected his mother, Denise Fergus, who finds these AI-created videos “disgusting” and disrespectful to her son’s memory.

TikTok has attempted to remove these videos, but many can still be found, some even garnering millions of views. The challenge of policing such content raises questions about the responsibilities of platforms like TikTok in maintaining a safe and respectful environment for all users.

In conclusion, the use of AI to recreate stories of deceased or missing children has ignited ethical debates. While it may serve as a new way to raise awareness, it also brings about concerns regarding its impact on victims’ families and the potential spread of misinformation. The actions taken by social media platforms in response to this issue highlight the delicate balance between creative expression and respecting the feelings of those affected.