A recent survey of over 1,300 teens ages 13 to 17 found that almost half of teens reported seeing sexual content they believed to be AI-generated. This type of content, created with generative AI tools, can include fake nude images and videos, deepfakes, and content from nudification tools and apps.

Concerns for Parents and Guardians

The study, conducted by Common Sense Media, highlights the need for parents and guardians to have open and ongoing conversations with their children about AI-generated sexual content. Nearly 70% of teens think AI-generated sexual content affects how they view what their bodies should look like, which can have a significant impact on their self-esteem and body image.

Moreover, the survey found that nearly 20% of teens have created AI-generated sexual content themselves or know someone who has done so, with more than half saying it depicted someone they knew. This raises concerns about the potential for teens to be exposed to explicit content of their peers, which can have serious consequences for their emotional and mental well-being.

Role of Schools and Institutions

The study also highlights the importance of schools and institutions in addressing the issue of AI-generated sexual content. Many schools are at the center of incidents in which teens are facing legal consequences for generating fake explicit images of their classmates. This makes it increasingly concerning that teens are almost as likely to feel comfortable talking to an AI chatbot compared with a school counselor or teacher.

Education officials must navigate dealing with these scenarios while not involving themselves in situations that technically happen off-campus. However, as Riana Pfefferkorn, a policy fellow at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, notes, there is a role for schools, parents, and families, as well as platforms and policymakers, in addressing this issue.

Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.