UK Study: 25% Find Nonconsensual Deepfakes Acceptable

Is this apathy in the face of a coming tech horrors, or will practical guardrails mitigate the worst fears?

Published 16 hours ago

UK Study: 25% Find Nonconsensual Deepfakes Acceptable

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Above: Facebook is displayed on a laptop screen in London, England on March 29, 2009. Image credit: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

The Spin

Techno-skeptic narrative

Sexual deepfakes are a serious threat, inflicting real psychological harm and overwhelmingly targeting women and girls. As the tech becomes easier to use, apathy enables abuse to spread. Treating these violations as trivial normalizes misogyny and erodes consent itself. Society cannot afford to look away.

Guardian CARE

Aperture on Youtube

Techno-optimist narrative

While deepfakes pose real risks, solutions are already emerging — from detection tools to authenticity standards — that can curb abuse without stifling creativity. Regulation should target harm, not hinder harmless AI artistry. With smart guardrails and improving safety tech, governments can fight manipulation while preserving the innovation that makes generative art valuable.

Brennan Center for Justice World Economic Forum