Civil society warns that innocent pictures or videos shared on social media can be transformed into explicit content using artificial intelligence (AI). Women and children are particularly vulnerable to this issue. Chairman of the Melaka Action Group for Parents in Education (Magpie), Mak Chee Kin, advises parents to refrain from sharing images or videos of their children on social media. He cautions that tech-savvy and irresponsible individuals can manipulate images or videos found online, creating various undesirable consequences. Mak states that the exposure to social media increases the risks one may encounter, even for those who are innocently sharing images or videos of loved ones.
Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim, the Chairman of the Parent Action Group for Education, suggests that parents should prepare their children to be mentally strong and resilient in facing such technological challenges. She emphasizes the importance of building their confidence and mental strength to overcome these situations. Noor Azimah acknowledges that the culture of oversharing online contributes to the problem, as children are often eager to share without considering the consequences.
Irene Xavier, the Executive Director of Persatuan Sahabat Wanita Selangor, advises women to exercise caution when uploading pictures of themselves and their families. She cites cases where women who uploaded revealing pictures for their boyfriends faced abuses when the relationship turned sour. Xavier urges women to carefully think before posting photographs of themselves.
In a recent incident, a private Telegram group in Melaka uploaded hundreds of doctored and obscene pictures of innocent victims, including female executives, housewives, and even young men. Kota Laksamana assemblyman Low Chee Leong highlighted this issue, with one of the doctored images featuring a 65-year-old grandmother wearing a bikini. Earlier this year, Mstar reported cases where AI was used to superimpose nude images of women, prompting @magmalaya to caution against excessive posting on social media. The comment section of the post revealed discussions of individuals selling such images as “business.”
A similar incident occurred in Spain, where over 20 girls in a town became victims of AI-generated nude images. These images were created by feeding an AI app with fully clothed pictures of themselves posted on social media. Some of the girls received blackmail demands from the creators, stating that their pictures would be uploaded to adult websites if payment was not made.
Datuk Seri Michael Chong, the head of MCA Public Services and Complaints Department, explains that devious individuals often conduct background checks on their targets through deep fakes. Chong has dealt with cases between former partners and spouses involving the superimposition of individuals in explicit acts, resulting in reputational damage and extortion attempts. He encourages victims not to keep the incidents to themselves, urging them to seek support from those around them or non-governmental organizations specializing in addressing such matters. Chong advises victims to weigh their options, including lodging police reports.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
