AI technology concerns grow with new study into image abuse


Artificial Intelligence (AI) generated image abuse is emerging as the latest flashpoint
with the emerging technology, as new research paints a grim picture of widespread
abuse showing one in 15 adults have been victims.


The study by RMIT University surveyed over 7,000 adults in Australia, the UK and US
and found that one in 15 adults have been victims with Australia fared worst, with
nearly 8% of respondents reporting abuse.


Image abuse can include having an intimate image created or altered using AI without
consent, or being threatened with the sharing of such an image.
The study comes as the impact of AI data centres on the recent US mid-term elections
is still being digested and as the Australian Governments proposed new “Digital Duty
of Care” remain before the Federal Senate.


Almost all victims of image abuse reported a quantifiable impact on their lives,
including effects on their health and wellbeing, relationships, work or finances.
Study author Professor Nicola Henry from RMIT University led the ground-breaking
research effort with financial support from Google.


“We now have evidence of how widely AI-generated image-based abuse is affecting
people across the community, not just celebrities and public figures,” she said.
“The true scale may be even greater because some people may never know that AI-
generated images of them have been created or shared.”
Interestingly men reported experiencing the abuse at more than twice the rate of
women, while AI generated abuse was also more prevalent with younger people and
those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and amongst people with
disabilities.


The findings have been published in the International Journal of Human–Computer
Interaction and build on previous studies using the same international dataset.
Professor Henry said the findings would bolster calls for technology companies to take
steps to actively prevent AI generated image abuse before it occurs.
“Australia’s proposed digital duty of care is an opportunity to shift the focus from
responding to abuse after it happens to requiring online services to prevent
foreseeable harm.”