Harmless fun? People are using Sora to create problematic videos

Hyper-realistic videos that mock certain groups or reinforce harmful stereotypes can shape attitudes over the long term.

- Elvin Xing and Sophy Tio

A cat ice-skating. Historical figures playing basketball. Cartoon characters hanging out with famous people.

Generative video tools like OpenAl’s Sora 2 mark the next frontier in artificial intelligence (AI) and are pushing the boundaries of realism. This ability to reimagine reality and to create videos can be empowering and engaging.

But alongside these playful clips, more troubling genres are emerging: hyper-realistic videos that mock certain groups, distort real events, or reinforce harmful stereotypes.

Consider the wave of AI videos depicting overweight individuals stumbling, eating excessively or engaging in derisive behaviour earning them mockery. These arise from problematic prompts, yet are framed and shared as lighthearted entertainment.

But each view, like or share subtly reinforces the idea that certain bodies, identities or cultural expressions deserve to be ridiculed, broadcasting microaggressions at scale.

As research from MIT shows, sensational content travels faster and further than factual content, a dynamic that generative videos on algorithmic social media accelerates. A single offensive joke told in a room is one thing; an AI-generated video replicated millions of times reshapes perceptions, conditioning audiences to accept contempt as normal or even humorous.

The line between humour and problematic stereotyping is not always clear. But the comedy industry has a term for jokes that denigrate people: “punching down” or mocking a group more vulnerable than oneself. It is generally seen as bullying, not humour.

In the US, where Sora 2 was first launched, a slew of videos portraying black women as angry, low-income and dissatisfied with government benefits have circulated widely.