Breaking News: Old Kijabe dam tragedy: Death toll rises to 45
Taylor Swift's AI explicit images proof of tech threat to women's rights
American singer Taylor Swift. Last week, sexually explicit photos of her generated by artificial intelligence flooded X, formerly Twitter.
What you need to know:
- With artificial intelligence, women's vulnerability will worsen, according to experts.
- AI facilitates access to image creators that anyone can use to manipulate an individual’s image and share without their consent.
Last week, sexually explicit photos of American singer Taylor Swift generated by artificial intelligence (AI) flooded X, formerly Twitter, bringing to light the threat of the new technology in worsening online violence against women.
AI has facilitated access to image creators that anyone can use to manipulate an individual’s image and share without their consent.
Already, women are facing high levels of online gender-based violence (OGBV), and with AI, their vulnerability will worsen, according to experts.
A joint 2020 study by Web Foundation and the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts established that OGBV was getting worse.
Yet law-enforcement agencies and the courts are failing to take appropriate actions in cases where digital technologies are used to commit acts of OGBV, says a 2014 Web Foundation Web Index, which analysed policy and institutional responses to online GBV in 86 countries.
Taylor’s manipulated images were widely shared on January 25-26, 2024, before X acted and blocked the searches. By Saturday, January 27, the search “Taylor Swift," prompted an error message: “Oops, something went wrong. Retry.”
X's head of business operations Joe Benarroch told BBC in a statement that it was a “temporary action” to prioritise safety.
In Kenya, Philip Thigo, an adviser on data and open government at the Office of the President, cautioned that weaponsing digital tools against women results in detrimental effects on women's health, wellbeing, and societal participation.
Mr Thigo is also a member of the United Nations Secretary General Advisory Body on AI.
“The reported statistics by UN Women, indicating that 16-58 per cent of women have experienced such violence, are alarming,” he told Nation.Africa.
He referenced the case of Taylor affirming that the role of AI and digital technologies in exacerbating violence against women is increasingly evident.
“The United Nations Advisory Body on AI, recognising this, has emphasised the need for global governance of AI,” he said.
“By advocating ethical AI development and deployment, the advisory body underscores the importance of designing and regulating AI systems to prevent their misuse in perpetuating gender-based violence, while respecting privacy and human rights.”
Mr Thigo said the advisory body has come up with an interim report on AI in which it advocates international cooperation in developing global norms.
He said it consists of a mix of soft regulations and voluntary commitments by tech firms to proactively combat online violence against women.
“This approach is critical to mitigating harm while fostering dialogue among nations.
"Countries like Kenya, with its Cyber Crimes Act, exemplify national efforts in this direction,” he noted.
He highlighted that AI, in its duality, represents both a challenge and a tool for addressing digital violence against women.
“This underscores the need for ethical guidelines, international cooperation, and a multi-stakeholder approach," he said.
"These efforts are vital to safeguard against misuse while simultaneously encouraging innovation and ensuring a safer digital environment for women.”
