AI sexual deepfakes (nudify)
A US survey reported by CNN found nearly 1 in 5 teens made, or know someone who made, AI-generated sexual images, often of people they know, and most teens fear being targeted.
Should I worry?
Some AI tools can turn an ordinary photo of a real person into a fake sexual image, and teens are reportedly making these of classmates and peers. The harm to the person depicted is real even though the image is fake: humiliation, fear of the image spreading, and trouble at school. Teens who make or share them can face school discipline and possible legal consequences. Warning signs include sudden distress about group chats, not wanting to go to school, secrecy around the phone, or a teen who seems afraid of what others might have. If your teen is targeted, stay calm and tell them it is not their fault. Keep screenshots as evidence, report the content to the platform and the school, and don't ask them to look at it again.
How to join in
Many teens know these tools exist and have heard of them through friends or social media, and some see them as a joke or a prank without thinking of the person in the picture. Most teens also say they worry about being targeted themselves. A good way in is to ask what they have heard about fake images at school and how people their age feel about it. Treat it as a shared concern rather than a suspicion about them.
Try saying
“I read that some kids are using AI to make fake nude pictures of people they know, and a lot of teens are scared it could happen to them. If anything like that ever involves you, whether it's someone's fake image of you or something you've seen going around, you can tell me and I won't be mad. We'd work it out together.”
If you’re worried
If an image of your teen is circulating, NeedHelpNow.ca helps get intimate images removed, and Cybertip.ca takes reports of online sexual exploitation. Call 911 if your teen is in immediate danger or is being threatened. Kids Help Phone (1-800-668-6868, or text 686868) is there for your teen at any hour, and 988 is available if they talk about self-harm or suicide.
Sources
From Mistlift, mistlift.app. Plain talk about what kids are into online.