Unwillingly naked: How deepfake pornography intensifies sexualised violence against women

A seemingly innocent holiday photo becomes the template for a highly realistic nude image—generated by artificial intelligence (AI), circulated online, without the subject’s knowledge or consent. What sounds like science fiction is already a disturbing reality: Tens of thousands of so-called deepfake pornographic images are created daily using freely accessible AI tools. These are computer-generated images or videos that simulate nudity or sexual acts. Women are disproportionately affected. This is no coincidence: sexualised violence is deeply rooted in society—and digital technologies are significantly amplifying this reality. This article explores how deepfake pornography digitally perpetuates existing structures of violence—and what must be done to offer better protection for those affected.