US3 min(s) read
There's a new viral trend that is leaving US educators terrified beyond belief, and it involves a beloved Dr. Seuss character.
You've probably heard of the Cat in the Hat, whether it be through the children's book or the 2003 film, where Mike Myers plays the titular character.
What you may not have heard of is the AI horror trend involving the iconic character, which shows the character in dark rooms, in the middle of rooms, or lurking outside windows.
The most terrifying part of it all is that these videos are often uploaded to social media while featuring names of students, towns or campuses.
They sometimes come with a warning, reading, “I’m coming.”
While the videos and media appear to be fake, the response from authorities is very real, with American law enforcement agencies working through posts that use AI to put chilling versions of the Cat in the Hat outside real homes and schools.
These videos are usually taken at night while featuring chilling captions or threats, with communities or individuals named in them.
While some think it is fake, it has resulted in a rise in patrols, lockdowns of schools, and even arrests in certain states.
These fictional horror posts first rose to infamy in Ireland and the UK in August, before making its way to US social media.
While early media showed the character as a horror character or serial killer, people then started to localize the posts, using AI-generated or edited images to make it look like the character was in particular locations.
According to MySA, one account in South Texas posted a map of San Antonio, writing: "I’m coming for every single person."
Others included initials of schools, names of students, or images resembling security camera footage.
The deputy commissioner of the Tennessee Office of Homeland Security, Greg Mays, told The New York Times that they were investigating numerous videos, with the issue being with threats made.
Mays explained: “That’s where it crosses the line.
FBI Special Agent Nathan Head further added to Spectrum News 1: “Just posting the video itself is not a crime," it's to do with threatening a school, student or institution.
The Butler Police Department compared the chilling trend to the 'killer clown' scare of 2016, where false reports were made of threatening clowns across the country.
Police responded with investigations and arrests.
Several US authorities have commented on the trend, with the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office in Florida stating that it increased its presence across county school campuses.
No threats were found.
The Frio County Sheriff’s Office in Texas also said that deputies had ramped up their visibility and patrols, warning against sharing any Cat in the Hat material found online.
“Viral does not mean harmless,” the Laredo Police Department stated, warning that a few seconds of a video on social media could result in a police investigation, school-related punishments or even criminal consequences, even if the post was meant as a joke.
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