1 in 6 women are victims of inappropriate AI-generated intimate photos, according to a new report

The political field has become more difficult for female leaders, as the rise of artificial intelligence poses greater risks to female politicians than to male ones, according to a report released this week.

The analysis, published by the disinformation think tank the American Sunlight Project (ASP) by 19 on December 11, they found more than 35,000 pieces of digitally interoperable close-up images (NCII) depicting 26 members of Congress. ASP’s numbers, when crunched, reveal the true truth for NCII victims: Out of those thousands of images, the organization found 25 female politicians exposed by AI. Only one man was the subject of such content.

Across the survey, female members of Congress were 70 times more likely than men to be the target of non-consensual photos and 1 in 6 congresswomen (or 16 percent) were victims of non-consensual intimate photos.

Leaders across the political spectrum have tried to address the rise of both NCII and AI-generated imagery, but have been slow to reach a consensus. In January, a bipartisan group of senators introduced the Overtly Disturbing Editing and Unconsensual Editing Act of 2024 (the Objection Act), which aims to criminalize the act of distributing nonconsensual, AI-enhanced “digital counterfeiting.” It was passed in July but is still being considered by the House.

Last week the Senate passed the Seizure Act, introduced by Senator Ted Cruz in June. The bill similarly criminalizes the publication of digitally identified deepfakes online but also imposes fines on companies that fail to remove such content within 48 hours of being reported.

But the gendered reality of AI-enhanced images cannot be understated, especially as female leads navigate the dangerous terrain of the internet that puts them at greater risk of sexual harassment. In August, the Center for Counting Digital Hate published a study on the rise of online hate and negative engagement on the social profiles of female politicians. According to an analysis of the Instagram profiles of 10 women in office, one comment out of 25 is “highly likely” to be toxic. Instagram has failed to act on 93 percent of reported abusive comments against female politicians.

“We need to consider this new situation and the fact that the Internet has opened up many dangers against women and marginalized communities,” said American Sunlight Project founder and author Nina Jankowicz. “My hope here is that members will be pushed into action when they see that not only is it affecting American women, but it’s affecting them. It’s affecting their colleagues. This is only happening because they are in the public eye.”

ASP notified the offices of the concerned politicians, informing them of the AI-generated NCII. The images were almost entirely removed following the notice, although the organization received no comment.

If you’ve shared intimate photos without your consent, call the Cyber ​​Civil Rights Initiative’s 24/7 hotline at 844-878-2274 for free, confidential support. The CCRI website includes useful information and a list of international services.