Concern 498 · Working draft · editorial review in progress
Deepnude apps
So-called undressing apps generate sexualized images of people from ordinary photographs, often without their consent.
Understanding the concern
These tools do not reveal what was beneath someone's clothing. They invent an image and attach it to a recognizable person. Calling that output a discovery can obscure the fact that it is fabricated and can be used to humiliate or threaten someone.
This entry focuses on products that make the abuse easy to create, rather than the later distribution of the image. Providers have choices about what their tools permit, how requests are handled and whether abuse can be reported. The person whose photograph was used did not agree to this use merely by appearing in a public image.
An example
An ordinary school or workplace portrait is misused to create an intimate fabrication.
Illustrative unless identified as a documented case.
Words in plain English
- Distribution
- The pattern of examples a system sees. A shift means new examples differ from the ones used in training or testing.
Evidence and its limits
The sources cover altered intimate imagery and US platform duties. This explanation does not describe methods for producing abusive images.
Australian eSafety Commissioner · Public explainer
FAQ about Image-Based Abuse ↗ (opens in a new tab)Consent, threats and altered intimate imagery; legal and removal procedures described are jurisdiction-specific.
Federal Trade Commission · May 2026 · Regulatory guidance
Complying With the Take It Down Act ↗ (opens in a new tab)US covered-platform duties effective May 19, 2026, including removal after valid notice; does not guarantee global removal.
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
What responsibility should a service accept when its main function enables nonconsensual sexual impersonation?
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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