Real Teenagers, Fake Nudes: The Rise of Deepfakes in American Schools
Jun 7, 2024
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Natasha Singer, a reporter from The New York Times, dives into the alarming phenomenon of deepfake nudes circulating in American schools. She highlights the distressing experiences of teenage girls who are victimized by AI-generated explicit images. The discussion covers inadequate responses from school authorities and the activism of parents pushing for better protections. Singer also tackles the complex legal challenges surrounding these cases, emphasizing the urgent need for updated laws in our rapidly evolving digital landscape.
Deepfake nudes created using AI exacerbate sexual exploitation in schools.
States and federal level working on legislation to criminalize deepfake nudes.
Deep dives
Spread of Deepfake Nudes in Schools
A disturbing trend in American schools involves the use of artificial intelligence to create deepfake nude images of classmates without their consent. These images, created by boys using available apps, simulate nude pictures of girls, significantly escalating peer sexual exploitation and harassment online. Unlike previous methods like Photoshop, generative AI enables rapid, realistic mass production of these fake images, severely impacting multiple girls' well-being.
Impact on Victims and Response
Victims of deepfake images, like 15-year-old Francesca Manny, faced shock and distress upon discovering their manipulated images online. Francesca's school initially lacked awareness and proper responses, leading to public humiliation and insufficient disciplinary actions against the perpetrators. Francesca and her mother took proactive steps to raise awareness, push for policy changes, and demand stricter consequences for those involved in creating and sharing deepfake nudes.
Legal and Policy Responses to Deepfake Nudes
The legal and policy landscape addressing deepfake nudes remains complex and evolving. State lawmakers in various states are introducing bills to criminalize the creation and distribution of AI-generated sexual images, with punishments ranging from educational programs for minors to prison sentences for adults. Efforts at the federal level are also underway to address the regulation and prevention of deepfake nudes, emphasizing the need for comprehensive legislation to protect individuals, particularly minors, from the harms of this technology.
Warning: this episode contains strong language, descriptions of explicit content and sexual harassment
A disturbing new problem is sweeping American schools: Students are using artificial intelligence to create sexually explicit images of their classmates and then share them without the person depicted even knowing.
Natasha Singer, who covers technology, business and society for The Times, discusses the rise of deepfake nudes and one girl's fight to stop them.
Guest: Natasha Singer, a reporter covering technology, business and society for The New York Times.
For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.
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