Concern 478 · Working draft · editorial review in progress
Coercive control in intimate-partner abuse
AI-assisted coercive control uses technology to extend an abusive partner's monitoring, intimidation or control.
Understanding the concern
Coercive control is a pattern of restricting another person's freedom. AI can be added to connected devices, fabricated messages or surveillance tools in ways that make the abuse harder to understand or escape. The technology is part of the abusive behavior, not its excuse.
A smart home can be convenient for a household while leaving one person with excessive control over shared accounts and devices. eSafety discusses these risks and the need for safer design. Support should be tailored to the person's circumstances: sudden account or device changes may alert an abuser, so a generic instruction to disconnect everything can be unhelpful.
An example
An abusive partner uses connected services to monitor routines and create a sense of being watched.
Illustrative unless identified as a documented case.
Words in plain English
- AI
- Software that learns patterns from examples or uses rules to perform tasks such as recognizing images or generating text. It can make mistakes and does not understand every situation as a person would.
Evidence and its limits
eSafety's analysis covers connected-device abuse and emerging AI risks. The scenario is illustrative and does not estimate prevalence.
Australian eSafety Commissioner · 2026 · Safety analysis
Internet of Things and coercive control ↗ (opens in a new tab)Connected devices and emerging AI can extend abuse; individual examples and research do not establish population prevalence.
Broader frameworks and background
These resources provide context. They do not establish every claim in this concern.
- OECD AI Incidents and Hazards Monitor (opens in a new tab)
incidents
- AI Incident Database (opens in a new tab)
incidents
- International humanitarian law (IHL)
framework
The body of law that governs the conduct of armed conflict and the protection of people who are not fighting, which applies to AI used in or for conflict.
A question to discuss
How could technology be designed so a person can regain control safely when an account is shared with an abuser?
Keep track of different views, what needs checking, and any next step in your own discussion notes.
Open discussion notes →Principles for the conversation
Before you finish · reflect together
Virtues and principles to consider
Virtues are qualities we practice in how we treat people and make choices. They are not scores for judging someone. Use these ideas to explore what a thoughtful response could look like.
Truthfulness
Truthfulness means making claims that match the evidence and being clear about what we do not know. It includes correcting mistakes rather than protecting a polished story.
Check sources, label guesses, and distinguish a trial result from a proven benefit. If AI helped produce a claim, someone still needs to take responsibility for checking it.
Ask together: What can we honestly say, and what still needs checking?
Meaningful conversation
Conversation means making room to understand and be understood. It is more than winning a debate or collecting quick agreement. People can explore a question together without starting from the same view.
Use a concrete example, invite different experiences, and ask what might change each person's mind. Let concerns and hopes sit together long enough to reveal choices that a simple yes-or-no argument would miss.
Ask together: What can we learn from each other before deciding?
Unity
Unity means working toward shared purposes while making room for real differences. It does not require everyone to have the same experience, beliefs, or opinion.
Look for a goal people can share, then explore disagreements about how to reach it. Make sure quieter or less powerful voices can influence the result.
Ask together: What purpose can we share while respecting our differences?
Editorial ratings
These are editorial judgments from the register, not measured probabilities or predictions about your situation.
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