image-based abuse

A new study finds that roughly one in 15 adults has experienced image-based abuse involving AI-generated content, such as fake or manipulated images shared without consent. Researchers say the scale of the problem highlights growing risks from generative AI tools, and the findings are prompting calls for stronger legal protections and platform safeguards against synthetic image abuse.

A new study documents widespread abuse involving non-consensual AI-generated intimate images, showing that deepfake tools are being used to create and share sexualised content of real people without their consent. Researchers are calling for stronger legal protections and platform action as the technology makes this form of image-based abuse easier and more scalable.