Urgent warning to parents as AI-generated ‘deepfake’ nude pics of dozens of girls shared around schools sparking outrage
PARENTS have been issued an urgent warning after AI-generated "deepfake" nude pictures of dozens of girls were shared around schools, sparking outrage.
Cops are investigating after pupils complained mocked-up "deepfake" photos appearing to show them naked were being widely distributed.
Mums have joined forces in a support group, after girls were blackmailed over images made with artificial intelligence tech.
The victims' ages are believed to be between 11 and 17, the reported.
Police have identified seven suspects they believe helped create and share the "deepfake" photos.
These can be generated using apps which combine a picture of the victim's face with pornography found online.
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These latest concerns have been raised among the families of girls at four schools in Spain's western Extremadura region.
One mum Miriam Al Adib took to Instagram to warn other parents, after her "heart skipped a beat" when her 14-year-old daughter showed a "deepfake" picture of herself she'd been sent.
Ms Al Adib, 46, wrote: "If I didn't know my daughter, this photo looks real."
And in a message to the offenders responsible, she said: "You're not aware of the damage you are causing.
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"Using images to create this disgusting material and distributing them is a very serious crime."
Another mother Fátima Gómez, who has a girl aged 12, told Spainish newspaper she suffered an anxiety attack after learning her daughter had been targeted when told by another mum.
She then heard from her daughter a boy on Instagram had asked for "some money" then sent a deepfake naked photo when rejected.
Extremadura's president María Guardiola promised a a new training and awareness campaign, as she warned about "digital violence against women" being "a scourge that is on the rise".
Ms Al Adib insisted: "All is not lost in society - the feeling that women do not remain silent is a fact.
"We are no longer ashamed - we are victims and now we can speak because society supports us.
"That's the message that I have given my daughters and they should never forget it."
Distributing child sex abuse images and crimes against privacy can receive prison terms of between one and five years in Spain, but offenders are unlikely to be jailed if aged under 18.
A cyber-security expert told The Sun this summer three dangerous ways criminals are exploiting new AI technology, including deepfakes as well as "phishing" attack scams and invasions of data privacy.
The rise of deepfakes mean people can no longer trust their eyes and ears when it comes to videos and voices they come across online, another advisor said.
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And an investigation found cyber-crooks are selling deepfake revenge porn on the dark web for up to £15,800 for minute-long clips.
Twitch and OnlyFans star Indiefoxx revealed earlier this year she was blackmailed with AI-generated deepfake nudes.