4 min readNov 23, 2023 04:00 PM IST
First published on: Nov 19, 2023 at 07:35 AM IST
A deepfake video was widely shared recently, in which actor Rashmika Mandanna’s face was imposed on another woman’s body. The video aimed to hook viewers in through the likeness of a popular star – someone totally unaware of and non-consenting of such depictions.
Several tips on spotting fake videos have been shared since, but I wonder what kind of advice can be shared with women who become the targets of such videos. Because while the technology might be novel, this is neither the first nor the last time women have become subjects of digital manipulation.
A recent Washington Post article quoted an industry analyst to say how on the top 10 websites that host AI-generated porn photos, “fake nudes have ballooned by more than 290 per cent since 2018”. It also cited a 2019 study by Sensity AI, a company that monitors deepfakes, which said that 96 per cent of deepfake images are pornography and 99 per cent of those photos target women.
When the actress at the centre of the recent row responded to the deepfake video, she touched upon this aspect: “Today, as a woman and as an actor, I am thankful for my family, friends and well wishers who are my protection and support system. But if this happened to me when I was in school or college, I genuinely can’t imagine how could I ever tackle this.”
The woman whose original video was used to create the deepfake also said, “I worry about the future of women and girls who now have to fear even more about putting themselves on social media.”
Her statement acknowledged that even without AI, non-consensual depictions of women have held back women from making their presence felt online. I grew up at a time when there was little discussion about how the internet is mobilised against women, even as such horrors played out in our lives all too often. I remember how, in my school days, boys were known to share private photos and videos of girls as a way to derive some kind of perverse joy.
My women friends in college also recalled similar stories, growing up. Underlying them was a deep sense of anger, hurt and helplessness.
The common advice given to us back then was: don’t show yourself to the world; after all, why take the risk? I never thought of this advice as sensible, but nevertheless imbibed some of it. To date, I avoid sharing too many photos of myself on social media platforms – a lack of confidence partly driven by this vague fear and anxiety.
Cut to 2023, when photos that show your face are being used to create fake videos. It lays bare the failure of a perspective which places the onus on women for acts men should be ashamed of doing in the first place.
Most of the responses to the deepfake story have been about the technology side of things. Much as that is needed as AI develops rapidly, shouldn’t we also discuss the impunity with which men use technology to violate the privacy of women?
It is young men who need to be conditioned, told repeatedly that when it comes to consent and respect, there are strict no-nos, including manipulation of photos, leering, and anything else that dehumanises a woman.
And what of the women? Anger and hurt are natural reactions in such situations. But shame is something that is taught, and it should not be taught anymore when there is no blame to take. Surprisingly, AI has only proven what many of us felt was true for long – holding women responsible for crimes against them has very little to do with stopping those crimes, and everything to do with a lack of interest in holding the perpetrators responsible.
National Editor Shalini Langer curates the fortnightly ‘She Said’ column
AI has only proven what many of us felt was true for long – holding women responsible for crimes against them has very little to do with stopping those crimes, and everything to do with a lack of interest in holding the perpetrators responsible. 
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