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?
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.
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.