'Nightmarish Scenario:" Creeps Can Produce AI-Generated Deepfake

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Online AI chatbots are enabling users to generate explicit nude photos of real people with just a few clicks, raising alarms among experts about a looming “nightmarish scenario.”

A recent investigation by Wired has uncovered a disturbing trend on the messaging app Telegram, where dozens of AI-powered chatbots are allowing users to create deepfake nude images and videos of virtually anyone. These bots, which are reportedly being used by an estimated 4 million people per month, can allegedly remove clothes from provided photos or even generate explicit content depicting individuals engaging in sexual activity.

Deepfake expert Henry Ajder, who first discovered this underground world of Telegram chatbots four years ago, expressed grave concern over the drastic increase in users actively creating and sharing this type of content. “It is really concerning that these tools — which are really ruining lives and creating a very nightmarish scenario primarily for young girls and for women — are still so easy to access and to find on the surface web, on one of the biggest apps in the world,” Ajder told Wired.

While celebrities like Taylor Swift and Jenna Ortega have fallen victim to the rise of pornographic deepfakes, there have also been recent reports of teen girls being targeted, with some deepfake nude photos being used in cases of “sextortion.” A survey even revealed that 40 percent of U.S. students reported the circulation of deepfakes in their schools.

The proliferation of deepfake sites amid advancements in AI technology has prompted intense scrutiny from lawmakers. In August, the San Francisco attorney’s office sued more than a dozen “undressing” websites. When contacted by Wired about the explicit chatbot content on Telegram, the company did not respond, but the bots and associated channels suddenly disappeared, although creators vowed to “make another bot” the next day.

Emma Pickering, head of technology-facilitated abuse and economic empowerment at the UK-based domestic abuse organization Refuge, emphasized the psychological harm these fake images can cause, leading to trauma, humiliation, fear, embarrassment, and shame. She noted that while this form of abuse is becoming increasingly common in intimate partner relationships, perpetrators are rarely held accountable.