Chinese social media is inundated with a new genre of artificial intelligence-generated videos that reflects the rising nationalism surrounding the country’s military ambitions.
The videos tend to follow a similar format: A Chinese soldier from World War II meets a present-day serviceman and is comforted to learn that China has become a global superpower.
The AI clips became “part of the state propaganda apparatus” when Beijing-controlled media outlets reposted and promoted them, according to Weibo Watch, a newsletter that tracks Chinese social media trends.
The clips demonstrate how China is using “the memory of war” to fuel a new strain of nationalism that emphasizes “collective victory” over recollections of suffering, Weibo Watch argued.