deepfakes, revenge porn, and the impact on body autonomy

Since deepfakes started appearing online in 2015, they have become more convincing year after year, growing in quality and quantity. Experts fear that deepfakes can be used to spread misinformation, for example, for political gain, but evidence suggests that women, in particular, have been victimized. Pornographic deepfakes threaten the victim's sense of self-control, self-presentation, and self-ownership. The results can be disorienting for anyone having AI content created about them, even consensually. Seeing images of yourself — or images that are falsified to look like you, in acts that you might find reprehensible, scary, or that would be only for your personal life can be very destabilizing — even traumatizing. There is no ability to give consent.

In January 2023, Brandon “Atrioc” Ewing, a popular Twitch streaming star, accidentally revealed that he viewed and paid for access to explicit “deepfake” porn of his fellow female streamers. This controversy sparked national and worldwide conversations about sexual images made without consent. “Deepfakes” are made using AI to swap one person's likeness in a photo with another. Experts have weighed in, stating that deepfake porn can be incredibly traumatic for victims, leaving emotional scars that can take years of trauma recovery to overcome. In this episode, we’ll explore the potentially dangerous implications of the growing prominence of AI-generated images, audio, and video through the lens of the Atrioc controversy. By the end of the episode, you’ll better understand the technological landscape we will all be forced to adapt to in the coming years, which can help you protect yourself and the people you love. Knowledge is power.

Topics discussed and questions answered in this episode:

■ The Atrioc deepfake controversy explained (with QTCinderella’s response)

■ What exactly is a deepfake and how are they made?

■ What are the legal issues with deepfakes? Are there laws against them?

■ How AI technology is used to create nonconsensual deepfake porn

■ How deepfake porn is escalating Hollywood’s sexualization of women to disturbing extremes

■ The impact deepfake revenge porn could have on women

■ How people are fighting back against the rise of deepfake porn (UNFPA’s “bodyright” campaign)

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Disclaimer: The information contained in this podcast episode is for educational and entertainment purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for treatment or consultation with a licensed mental health professional.

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