How TikTok bots and AI have powered a resurgence in UK far-right violence

Experts warn growth of extremist influencers and ‘micro-donations’ could create even bigger wave of unrest

Less than three hours after the stabbing attack on Monday that led to the death of three children, an AI-generated image was shared on X by an account called Europe Invasion. It depicted bearded men in traditional Muslim dress outside the Houses of Parliament, one waving a knife, behind a crying child in a union jack T-shirt.

The tweet, which has since been viewed 900,000 times, was captioned: “We must protect our children!” and shared by one of the most potent accounts for misinformation about the Southport stabbings.