AI-generated image-based sexual abuse: Perpetration and consumption across three regions

The rapid pace of advancements in AI, paired with widespread availability and decreasing technical barriers, has resulted in significant concern about the generation of synthetic sexualized imagery (e.g., sexual “deepfakes”). We surveyed a representative sample of 7231 respondents in Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States to map the prevalence of perpetrating and consuming AI-generated image-based sexual abuse (AI-IBSA). In those three regions, the overall population level rate of creating, sharing, and/or threatening to share images is 3.2%. Men, those under 35, BIPOC respondents, and respondents with a disability are significantly more likely than their counterparts to report these behaviors. 18% of all respondents report deliberately viewing sexual deepfakes, most commonly due to curiosity according to both men and women respondents. These findings suggest that, in addition to working to prevent the creation of nonconsensual AI-generated sexual images, sociotechnical interventions are needed to address the seeming normalization of consuming these images. Potential legal, technical, and educational interventions are discussed.