How Artificial Intelligence Is Fueling Incel Communities

In late January 2024, X was flooded with graphic, deepfaked images of Taylor Swift. While celebrities have long been the victims of photo leaks and cyber attacks, this time it was different because these were generated using artificial intelligence.

The images were quickly reported by the “Shake It Off” singer’s fanbase and taken down after being live on the poster’s profile for less than a day. However, it was enough time for them to go viral despite the platform having policies against non-consensual nudity. A report from disinformation research firm Graphika later found that the images had been created on 4chan, where users encouraged each other to generate sexually charged deepfakes in an attempt to skirt content policies surrounding nudity using famous female celebrities.

Unfortunately, Swift’s experience isn’t a one off. Marvel actress Xochitl Gomez, who is only 17 years old at the time of reporting, said on the podcast “The Squeeze”' that she struggled to get deepfakes of her taken down from X and shared the mental impact that had on her. Gomez and Swift are just two of the countless women who’ve recently become victims to deepfakes depicting them in sexual ways.

Read more at The Daily Beast.