Civil society groups demand action against ‘sexist’ AI disinformation
More than two dozen international civil society organizations will call on major tech firms to bolster their AI policies to combat “sexist and misogynistic” disinformation plaguing social media platforms, according to the draft of an open letter seen by AFP on Thursday.
The letter to the chief executives of six giants — Meta, X, YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, and Reddit — follows an online boom in non-consensual deepfake porn as well as harassment and scams enabled by cheap, widely available artificial intelligence tools.
“It’s evident that these harms are not felt equally,” said the letter, signed by 27 digital and human rights organizations including UltraViolet, GLAAD, the National Organization for Women, and MyOwn Image.
“Specifically, women, trans people, and nonbinary people are uniquely at risk of experiencing adverse impacts of AI-based content on social media.”
A particular target of gendered disinformation is Democratic Party nominee Kamala Harris, which has included a flood of misogynistic and sexist narratives attacking the first Black, South Asian and woman vice president in US history.
“These harms silence us online, violate our right to control our own image, and distort our elections,” said Jenna Sherman, the campaign director at UltraViolet.
“But worse, they normalize and even algorithmically codify sexual exploitation and reinforce harmful stereotypes about gender, sexuality, and consent.”