Is AI creating new forms of violence against women?



Yes. AI is both creating entirely new forms of abuse and dramatically amplifying existing ones. The scale and undetectability of AI create more widespread and significant harm than traditional forms of technology-facilitated violence.

Some new AI-powered forms of abuse against women include:

  • Image-based abuse through deepfakes: According to research, 90 to 95 percent of all online deepfakes are non-consensual pornographic images, with around 90 percent depicting women. The total number of deepfake videos online in 2023 was 550 percent higher than in 2019. Deepfake pornography makes up 98 percent of all deepfake videos online, and 99 percent of the individuals targeted are women.
  • Enhanced impersonation and sextortion: AI enables the creation of interactive deepfakes impersonating humans and beginning online conversations with women and girls who don't know they're interacting with a bot. The practice of "catfishing" on dating sites can now be scaled and rendered more realistic as AI bots adapt to simulate human conversations, luring women and girls into revealing private information or meeting up offline.
  • Sophisticated doxing campaigns: Natural Language Processing tools can identify vulnerable or controversial content in women's posts – such as discussing sexual harassment or calling out misogyny – making them easier targets for doxing campaigns. In some cases, AI is used to craft personalized, threatening messages using a victim's own words and data, escalating psychological abuse. Read Ljubica’s story.
Location: 405 E 45th St, New York, NY 10017, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What can you do to counter digital violence?

Image
Call it out.  If you see abuse happening, don’t ignore it. Support the target.   Share resources.  Direct friends to survivor hotlines, legal guidance, and this article.   Take the quiz.  Test your ability to spot the signs of abuse and share it to help others stay safe.   Need help? If you or someone you know is experiencing online harassment or digital abuse, help is available. These organisations and directories can connect you to trusted regional and global support services:   Note: UN Women is not responsible for the information provided by external sources.   The  Online Harassment Field Manual – Help Organisations Directory  is a specialist directory listing regional and international organisations that help journalists, activists, and others facing online abuse, offering digital safety advice, referrals, and emergency contacts.   Cybersmile Foundation  provides a global service that offers emotional ...
Read more

UNiTE to End Digital Violence against All Women and Girls.

Image
From 25 November to 10 December 2025, mark the 16 Days of Activism to End Gender-based Violence under the theme: “UNiTE to End Digital Violence against All Women and Girls”. Violence against women and girls affects one in three women . It is a global human rights emergency that must stop. As the world marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action – one of the most progressive international agreements on women’s rights to date – the UN Secretary-General’s UNiTE 2025 campaign focuses on one of the fastest-growing forms of abuse: digital violence against women and girls. This year’s campaign is also a reminder that digital safety is central to gender equality.
Read more

16 Days of Activism on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls.

Image
  Africa's digital transformation is accelerating at an extraordinary pace. Internet access has grown at more than double the global rate and a new generation is connecting to opportunities their parents could never have imagined. But there is a dark side spreading just as fast as the connectivity itself – one that threatens to lock women and girls out of the very revolution they should be leading. This rising digital violence is more than a gendered threat; it is a challenge to sustainable development itself. When women and girls cannot participate safely online, Africa’s digital transformation cannot deliver the inclusive growth, innovation, and social progress needed to achieve the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals. Africa stands at an inflection point. With 70 per cent of sub-Saharan Africans under 30, this is the world's youngest continent as we experience the fastest technological transformation in history. Internet access in Africa has grown at 16.7 per c...
Read more