Deepfake Victim Calls for Stricter Regulation of AI-Generated Images
A woman whose photos were manipulated to create explicit images without her consent is speaking out against the dangers of artificial intelligence. Georgia Horton’s experience highlights the need for stricter regulation of AI-generated content, particularly when it comes to deepfakes that can cause irreparable harm.
Horton was shocked to discover that an old college friend had used her social media photos to create pornographic images using AI technology. Ethan Orchard, from Southsea, was jailed for three years and four months in July after creating and sharing fake explicit images of Horton and two other women. He also posted violent and sexually explicit fantasies about the women online, asking others to share theirs.
Horton described how Orchard would make people choose between them or ask what they wanted to do to them. One post asked ‘What would you do if you had five minutes alone with her?’ and got progressively worse from there. The worst one she saw was a question about whether someone would save, rape, or sell her.
Horton attended college in Hampshire with Orchard and thought they were friends. She’s now speaking publicly to raise awareness of the ‘darker side’ of AI, which she believes is often overlooked due to its perceived benefits. Horton said everyone seems to be pro-AI, thinking it’s just a fun tool on a computer screen, but it can have devastating consequences.
Earlier this year, new legislation was introduced making it a criminal offence to create sexually explicit deepfake images of someone without their consent. While Horton welcomed the law as ‘a start’, she believes it doesn’t go far enough. The technology to make these images and videos is still widely available, and self-regulation isn’t working.
Horton pointed out that big tech companies claim they’re tightening safeguards but can be easily bypassed with minor changes to prompts. She also noted that AI models are becoming increasingly accessible and unregulated. This has led Horton to call for more comprehensive regulation of AI-generated content, including stricter safety features built into the programs themselves.
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology acknowledged the issue and stated that creating and sharing non-consensual sexual deepfakes is ‘utterly vile’. They emphasized that it’s illegal to create, possess or share child sexual abuse material, including AI-generated content. The government also highlighted their efforts to hold tech companies accountable, forcing platforms to remove non-consensual intimate images within 48 hours of a report and holding company bosses personally liable for failing to comply with Ofcom’s decisions on intimate image abuse.
Horton’s case led police to uncover a ‘truly horrifying’ website containing over one million child sexual abuse images. She urged parents to be more vigilant about sharing photos of their children online, suggesting that posting pictures of kids should be banned due to the risk of predators exploiting them through AI-generated content.
The damage caused by AI-generated deepfakes can be immense, with just one photo being enough for limitless images to be created. Horton’s experience serves as a warning about the dangers of this technology and highlights the need for stricter regulation to prevent further harm.