Study: One in 15 Adults Experiences AI-Generated Image-Based Abuse

Melbourne (ANTARA) — Around one in 15 adults in Australia, the UK and the United States has experienced AI-generated image-based abuse, according to a study led by Australia’s RMIT University.

The study surveyed more than 7,200 adults across the three countries and found that 7% of respondents had experienced at least one form of such abuse since the age of 18. The figure was slightly higher in Australia, at 7.7%, RMIT University said in a statement released on Wednesday.

The abuse included creating or altering intimate images using AI without consent, distributing AI-generated intimate images without consent, or threatening to share such images, the study found.

Nearly 87% of victims and survivors reported at least one impact on their lives, including effects on their health and wellbeing, personal relationships, work or finances.

The study found that men reported experiencing this abuse at more than twice the rate of women: 10.2% compared with 3.8%. However, women reported more negative reactions and impacts, including fears for their safety and effects on their mental and physical health.

The study’s lead author, Professor Nicola Henry of RMIT, said the findings revealed the widespread scale of the abuse in society, showing that it affects not only celebrities and public figures.

The research, published in the International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, highlighted the need for technology companies to take greater responsibility for preventing AI-generated image-based abuse before it occurs, Henry said.