Generative AI and English nationalists are teaming up to make the internet a worse place by swamping it with unhinged ‘patriotic’ slop featuring French knights, dinosaurs, and far too many Winston Churchills
Thanks to a combination of rising far-right rhetoric in the UK and what appears to be Meta’s increased tolerance for AI-generated content on its platforms, accounts dedicated to the St George’s Cross-wearing, bangers and mash-loving nationalist collective in England are churning out AI slop, which often contains islamophobic or anti-immigrant messaging.
These typically anonymous accounts, almost all of which feature a near-parody level of Union Jacks and St George’s Crosses, have spread like wildfire across Facebook in particular.
Things reached their horrifying peak in late August after St George’s and Union Jack flags began appearing in cities around the UK, hoisted by right-wing nationalist groups calling themselves “proud English men.”
It was followed weeks later by a so-called ‘United the Kingdom‘ rally held in London by far-right activist, Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, better known as Tommy Robinson, on Saturday (13 September). At least 25 people were arrested, and 26 police officers were injured, four of whom were seriously hurt.
AI slop accounts jumping on the bigoted bandwagon include profiles professing to capture the “elegance, charm, and timeless beauty of the United Kingdom”, which apparently includes six-pawed AI lions, crowds of football hooligans who don’t exist, and unfettered racist and anti-immigrant rhetoric.
One account, which features over 14,000 followers, went from spamming pictures of the Queen to posting AI-generated ‘patriotic’ propaganda, which predominantly calls for the full deportation of every immigrant from the UK, in August, posting nearly every single hour.
Bizarrely, one of its posts depicts a medieval knight covered in blood and holding a French flag, seemingly dressed in armour of the Templar Order – A Catholic military order founded in France by nobleman Hugues de Payens. The caption simply reads: “Our hearts beat English forever.”
Another post, pictured at the top of this article, proudly professes: “For the flag, for the land, For ENGLAND,” alongside AI generated imagery of a crown-wearing knight wielding a shield with the Serbian coat of arms painted on the front.
Also, the knight is riding an American Pit Bull Terrier. The post has 992 likes and 209 shares.
Depicting non-English medieval knights seems to be a fan favourite among nationalists online. Another post, which has gone viral for its utter ludicrousness, depicts yet another AI-generated knight standing next to a Union Jack. The medieval soldier’s helmet is branded with the Fleur-de-lis – a French symbol featured on the Quebec flag.
Of course, the French knight isn’t alone, but is standing next to a transparent Tyrannosaurus Rex and what appears to be a combination of a Spitfire aircraft, flown during World War II, and a First World War Biplane. The caption reads: “British Born, English Bread.” Yes, really.
Right wing AI posts contribute to rising hate speech in the UK, experts warn
While laughing at unhinged nationalist spam shared by tech-illiterate gammons is certainly cathartic, many of these accounts are statistically causing real-world harm.
Media monitoring organisatio, GLAAD noted that Meta’s ineffectiveness in combating hate speech on its platforms, which include Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, has allowed bigotry to run rampant.
Similarly, Amnesty International, a human rights non-profit, wrote in February that Meta’s algorithms, which control what users see, “amplify some of the most harmful content, including advocacy of hatred, misinformation, and content inciting racial violence.”
The impact of this online bile goes far beyond the digital world. UK hate crimes have significantly increased over the past few years, according to the Home Office, with over 140,560 recorded in 2024.
In 2024, 70 per cent of all recorded hate crimes were motivated by racism.
Religious hate crimes, predominantly against Jewish and Muslim people, have also steadily increased over the past few years, rising by 25 per cent last year.
Anti-nationalist organisation Hope not Hate urged the UK public, the government, and relevant institutions to stomp out “divisive rhetoric” through collaboration and “social cohesion.”
In its 2024 Fear and Hope report, the organisation made several recommendations, based around “community resilience,” to help curb populist rhetoric in the UK. The recommendations included policies that allow migrants to “be part of Britain”, including pathways to citizenship and the right to vote.
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