I personally see dolls and stuffed aninals nore concerning as they, at least for the majority of stuffed animals I have, are more anthro/bear on 2 legs kinda human like kind. And I can easily see how people are more able to look at that and envision a person they don’t like or wronged them somehow and then kinda escalate from there. Moreso than text on a screen due to it not having a physical form that has even somewhat of a human like form. I can easily see because I have done something similar in the past with stuffed animals. Thankfully, I never acted on those thoughts and haven’t had any in maybe a little over a decade.

Though, I totally understand the whole torture anything urge red flag thing. It’s absolutely a red flag for me, but to a slightly lower degree for torturing clankers.

If they were torturing an actual organic living being ( plant and/or animal ) or something like a doll or stuffed animal, I would be so much more concerned. “Torturing” ( a term in which I believe should only ever be applied to organic living beings and not inorganic “lifeforms” ) a genAI model holds like zero weight because that’s not ever going to be a sentient being and therefore all it is is simulations of emotion.

The people saying it’s cruel need serious therapy for their delusions, IMO.