The Issue of Fake Nudes

The creation and sharing of fake nudes, particularly among teens, has become a growing concern. According to experts, the non-consensual sharing of such images can have severe psychological, reputational, and social consequences for the victims. Roberta Duffield, the director of intelligence for Blackbird.AI, notes that deepfake nudes targeting kids and adults represent one of the most insidious and wide-reaching harms of AI.

Experts suggest that a multi-pronged approach is needed to address the problem, involving not just schools and parents but also lawmakers and tech companies. Protecting kids from AI-generated sexual material should be at the forefront of content moderation policies of social media platforms and in the legislative offices of policymakers.

Teen Perspectives

Interestingly, many teens do not find the creation and sharing of fake nudes to be funny anymore. A 13-year-old male respondent noted that everyone will see the image, the victim will be embarrassed, and it will never go away. An 18-year-old male respondent understood the complexity of the issue, explaining that it dehumanizes the person, using them for pleasure without consent.

Thorn, an organization that works to combat child sexual exploitation, found that the majority of victims of fake nudes have been female, but young men have also been targeted. The trend has perhaps helped shift the overarching sentiment, at least among young people, away from defending the sexual abuse as a mere joke.