A survey of more than 7,200 adults across the United States, United Kingdom and Australia found that 7% had experienced AI-generated image-based abuse, with nearly 87% of those affected reporting negative consequences.
Around one in 15 adults has experienced at least one form of AI-generated image-based abuse, according to a new study led by Australia’s RMIT University.
The research surveyed more than 7,200 adults in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. It found that 7% of respondents had experienced such abuse since turning 18. This included having intimate images created or altered using AI without consent, having AI-generated intimate images shared without permission, or being threatened with the distribution of such material.
The consequences extended beyond the creation and circulation of images. Almost 87% of victim-survivors reported at least one impact on their lives, affecting their health and wellbeing, relationships, employment or finances.
Lead author Professor Nicola Henry of RMIT University conducted the research with support from Google. She said the findings demonstrated that AI-generated image-based abuse affects people across the wider population, rather than only celebrities and public figures.
“We now have evidence of how widely AI-generated image-based abuse is affecting people across the community, not just celebrities and public figures,” she said.
“The true scale may be even greater because some people may never know that AI-generated images of them have been created or shared.”
Men Report Higher Rates, While Women Experience Greater Negative Impacts
The study identified higher rates of AI-generated image-based abuse among people under 35, individuals from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds, men and people with disability.
Men reported experiencing this form of abuse at more than twice the rate of women. The reported prevalence was 10.2% among men, compared with 3.8% among women.
However, women reported more negative reactions and consequences, including concerns about personal safety and effects on their mental and physical health. The researchers suggested that these differences may reflect broader gender inequalities, stigma and safety risks that disproportionately affect women.
Henry emphasised that although anyone could experience this abuse, the likelihood of victimisation and its consequences were not distributed equally.
“As generative AI becomes more widely available, there is greater potential for these tools to be misused to create, share or threaten to share intimate images without consent,” she said.
“What we don’t yet know is how quickly that is translating into increased victimisation.”
Earlier Studies Highlight the Wider Scale of AI-Generated Sexual Images
One earlier study found that 3.2% of respondents had created, shared or threatened to share AI-generated sexual images without consent. Among those who distributed such material, the most frequently reported motivation was “for fun or as a joke.”
Another study found that almost one in five adults had deliberately viewed AI-generated sexual images of real people. This figure excluded individuals who viewed the material solely to report it or help remove it.
Together, these findings provide further evidence of the creation, distribution and consumption of non-consensual AI-generated sexual imagery.
Researchers Call for Greater Accountability and Prevention
Henry said the findings strengthened the case for technology companies to take greater responsibility for preventing AI-generated image-based abuse.
“Australia’s proposed digital duty of care is an opportunity to shift the focus from responding to abuse after it happens to requiring online services to prevent foreseeable harm,” she said.
She added that legislation and regulation alone would not be sufficient. Better public education, accessible support for victim-survivors and stronger accountability among technology companies and developers are also necessary to ensure safety is incorporated into AI tools and applications from the outset.
“We’ve worked with Google researchers for a long time to better understand this broader issue and identify where industry-wide prevention efforts are most needed.”
Co-author Dr Rebecca Umbach, Staff User Experience Researcher at Google, said the study offered important evidence about the prevalence and consequences of AI-generated image-based abuse.
“Understanding who is experiencing AI-generated image-based abuse, how it occurs and the impacts it has on people is essential if we are going to design more effective prevention and responses,” Umbach said.
“Research that brings together academic and technology-sector expertise can help identify where interventions are most needed and how technology itself can be part of preventing harm.”
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