Jeb Bladine: Rise of AI deep fake imagery has many victims
Here’s a new acronym for 2026 that deserves to become a clarion call against new combinations of human deviance and artificial intelligence run amok:
NCSI.
No, it’s not another spin-off of the long-running “Crime Scene Investigation” television franchise. It’s short for nonconsensual sexual images, now being manufactured as well as distributed on new AI platforms.
Long-time federal and state laws, and civil courts, have prosecuted “nonconsensual distribution of intimate images.” Until recently, however, that involved genuine intimate images that may initially have been shared consensually before being made public.
Some call it “revenge porn,” a particularly insidious form of human behavior that is more complex to prosecute due to various personal circumstances.
Today, AI platforms allow creation of deep-fake sexual images from any photograph or video with software platforms that can remove clothing, retain clear personal identification, and produce still or video imagery made accessible to millions online.
This week, NBC News reported about “Grok,” the new AI assistant on Elon Musk’s social media platform, “X” (formerly Twitter).
According to NBC, Grok users are generating a dozen inappropriate images per minute, and “50 percent of images generated by Grok between Dec. 25 and Jan. 1 were nonconsensual sexual images, primarily targeting women.” Two percent of those NCSIs, reported NBC, depicted people apparently 18 years or younger.
Musk, the world’s richest person, acquired Twitter in 2022, rebranded it X in 2023, and re-launched on x.com in 2024. He claims between 250 and 500 million active monthly users ranging from free, ad-supported accounts to $3, $8 or $40 monthly for upgraded features and usage capacity.
People who use Grok to create NCSIs, Musk said, will be treated the same as people who upload such images to the Internet. But even though many NCSIs have been removed, more keep being generated.
All of this, repulsive as it is, may be just the tip of an AI iceberg riding on an ocean of deep-fake images.
Last week, someone referred me to a 25-minute YouTube video of eminent political columnist George Will analyzing the Trump trade wars. It plays on the YouTube account “Capitol Transparency Watch,” along with many other authentic Will commentaries on prominent political issues.
All fakes! Here, found at the “Learn More” link, is the legal disclaimer: “This is a fan-made tribute channel dedicated to George Will’s legacy. Content uses AI technology (voice synthesis, digital recreation) based on publicly available material from his columns, interviews, books like “The Conservative Sensibility,” and TV appearances. Created for educational, inspirational, and entertainment purposes.”
We asked for comment from The Washington Post Writers Group, which syndicates Will’s actual columns to hundreds of newspapers and other publications. No response yet, but we will let you know.
Meanwhile, someone else urged me to watch the shocking YouTube commentary video by prominent Greek economist Yanis Varoufakis about the demise of world financial systems. Again, all deep-fake, causing Varoufakis to respond: “I’m watching myself on YouTube saying things I would never say. This is the deep fake menace we must confront.”
Jeb Bladine can be reached at jbladine@newsregister.com or 503-687-1223.
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