AI-Translated Hitler Speeches
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About
AI-Translated Hitler Speeches refers to audio of Adolf Hitler's speeches that have been translated from German into English using artificial intelligence tools. In January 2024, a translated version of Hitler's 1939 Reichstag speech was uploaded to YouTube by Time Unveiled, with other translated speeches and speech segments appearing online over the following months. The speeches gained virality online and went viral on X / Twitter in March 2024, garnering controversy after far-right and conspiracy theorist users, including Dom Lucre and Owen Benjamin, began sharing them, with some claiming that (when translated into English) the speeches highlight positive aspects of Hitler's ideology and expose the commonly taught idea that Hitler was a "bad guy" as false. Some defended the translations as being good, neutral historical teaching tools. The speeches continued to go viral in the latter half of the year on sites like TikTok and Instagram, inspiring lip dubs on the former platform.
Origin
On January 1st, 2024, YouTuber[1] Time Unveiled uploaded an AI-generated English translation of Adolf Hitler's 1939 Reichstag speech, garnering over 2.1 million views in eight months. In the speech, Hitler explains what drove him to antisemitism and speaks for the "annihilation of the Jewish race in Europe."
Spread
March 2024 Virality
On March 7th, 2024, X[2] user @dom_lucre posted a clip of the Hitler translation, writing, "Currently the speeches of Adolf Hitler has been going viral but Osama Bin Laden, Joseph Stalin, Hideo Tojo and many others have been translated. It is truly strange and terrifying to witness," garnering over 20,000 likes in six months.
Later that day, the X[3] user posted another clip of the speech, garnering over 56,000 likes in the same span of time, writing, "This AI translation gives viewers a look into the mind of Hitler. In this speech he expressed where his antisemitism stemmed from, his goals and his thoughts on America. This speech is by definition EXTREMELY antisemitic so please beware before listening."
The posts inspired mixed reactions, with some sharing the opinion that, when translated into English, the speech seemed more reasonable than what they were led to believe by their education and the media.[4][5]
They also inspired significant backlash from people believing it irresponsible to share the speeches and claiming that Lucre posted them knowing that they would resonate with his audience. Lucre is known to share right-leaning conspiracy theories and content.[15]
On March 8th, X[6] user @steinkobbe posted a criticism of Lucre, garnering over 3,000 likes in six months.
On March 9th, 2024, comedian Owen Benjamin made a post to X[7] in support of the speeches, writing, "The mustache man’s speeches are being converted to English with AI from right before WWII and they’re nothing like what we were told they were," and that it, "appears he didn’t want to go to war and was chastising other countries for not helping the [jews] and that Germany didn’t have the resources to keep receiving migrants," garnering over 9,000 likes in six months.
The AI-translated speeches, posts sharing them and the antisemitic reactions to them garnered significant media attention, with publications including Wired,[8] The Jerusalem Post[9] and Daily Mail[10] reporting on them, with each publication sharing examples of comments left in regards to the post praising and supporting Hitler.
Continued Spread
The speeches continued to spread online throughout 2024, including on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. On March 13th, 2024, YouTuber[11] HistoryWithKean posted an AI translation of a portion of Hitler's 1935 speech at Krupp Factory, garnering over 400,000 views in six months.
On May 1st, YouTuber[12] Time Unveiled posted an AI-translated version of Hitler's 1945 final radio broadcast, recorded three months before he took his own life, garnering over 840,000 views in four months.
On September 1st, 2024, Instagram[13] user guyaintreal posted a video consisting of an image of Hitler, a caption reading "Just listen:" and a portion of a translated Hitler speech, garnering over 41,000 likes in 11 days. The post garnered a significant number of comments from users sharing their support for Hitler and antisemitic statements.
On September 12th, X[14] user @Klaus_Arminius shared a now-deleted video of a TikToker lip dubbing to a portion of one of the AI-translated speeches, writing, "Hitler's 1939 speech translated by Al is going viral on TikTok among young people," garnering over 22,000 likes in under a day.
Hitler's 1939 speech translated by Al is going viral on TikTok among young people.
Two AI-translated clips of the 1939 Reichstag speech have racked up millions of views on TikTok.
ADL and hate groups demand TikTok to take stricter measures to combat ‘glorification of Hitler’. pic.twitter.com/ivG1PEBRSz— Klaus Arminius (@Klaus_Arminius) September 12, 2024
Various Examples
@trav.bart
@angelicasgrass Literally #netflixandchill #datenight #europa #fyp #kanye ♬ original sound – Lefteris
@joshswuam #fy #starwars ♬ original sound – Lefteris
@tsialikisprofessional Όταν δεις τι γίνεται δεν χρειάζεται.
Search Interest
External References
[1] YouTube – Time Unveiled
[4] X – kazonomics
[5] X – TheeDrGroyper
[6] X – steinkobbe
[7] X – OwenBenjamin
[8] Wired – An AI-Altered Hitler Speech Is Going Viral On X
[9] JP – AI translates Hitler speech, social media users express support for Fuhrer
[10] DailyMail – I video converting a 1939 anti-Semitic speech goes viral on X with users claiming genocidal dictator 'doesn't sound evil at all'
[11] YouTube – HistoryWithKean
[12] YouTube – Time Unveiled
[13] Instagram – guyaintreal
[14] X – Klaus_Arminius
[15] Forbes – Twitter Suspends, Then Unsuspends, Popular Right-Wing User
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Top Comments
Nox Lucis
Sep 12, 2024 at 05:21PM EDT
martinprince12345
Sep 12, 2024 at 06:10PM EDT