Survey Finds 7% of Adults Experienced AI Intimate Image Abuse

A survey of more than 7,200 adults in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia found that 7% had experienced AI generated intimate image abuse since turning 18, according to News Medical. Researchers from RMIT University, with support from Google, examined cases involving intimate images created or altered with AI, shared without consent, or used in threats.

Nearly 87% of victims reported effects on their health, wellbeing, relationships, work or finances. Reported abuse was more common among people under 35, people from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds, men and people with disability.

Men reported experiencing the abuse at a rate of 10.2%, compared with 3.8% among women. Women reported more fear for their safety and greater effects on their mental and physical health.

Earlier research using the same international dataset found that 3.2% of respondents had created, shared or threatened to share AI generated sexual images without consent. Almost one in five adults had deliberately viewed AI generated sexual images of real people, excluding those who viewed the material only to report or remove it.