A recent video I watched, The Internet Is No Longer Human, makes the unarguable point that the web is increasingly shaped by AI systems and highlights a particularly disturbing consequence: the rise of AI-generated explicit deepfake images involving children. The full video is available here: The Internet Is No Longer Human ↗
Why This Matters
AI deepfakes are images, videos, or audio clips generated or altered by artificial intelligence to make fake content look convincingly real. When this technology is used to create sexualized images of minors, experts increasingly treat it as a form of image-based abuse rather than a harmless prank.
The concern is no longer theoretical. Reporting from PBS and pediatric guidance for families show that students have used ordinary photos of classmates to generate fake nude images and circulate them at school. UNICEF has warned that "deepfake abuse is abuse," underscoring that the emotional and reputational damage to a child is real even when the image itself is synthetically produced.
Statistics Referenced in the Video
The video points to several data points that show the scale of the problem. Recent reporting and child-protection sources support the following figures:
- At least 1.2 million children across 11 countries reported having their images turned into sexually explicit deepfakes within a single year.
- In some countries, that equates to about 1 child in 25 — roughly one child in a typical classroom.
- About 1 in 8 young people ages 13 to 20 say they know someone who has been the target of a deepfake nude image or video.
- About 1 in 17 young people report being targets themselves.
- Roughly 13 percent of teens say they personally know someone who has used AI to create or share deep-fake pornography of minors.
- The Internet Watch Foundation described 2025 as its worst year on record, with increasingly realistic AI-generated abuse material involving identifiable children.
What This Looks Like in Real Life
The video references school-based cases that make the issue tangible. PBS reported on a case in Westfield, New Jersey, where high-school boys allegedly used a "nudify app" to alter photos of female classmates and then shared the resulting fake images. The same report described a Beverly Hills middle-school case in which students used AI tools to create explicit fake images of 16 classmates, leading to five expulsions.
These incidents matter because they show how little technical skill is required. A phone, a few existing photos, and a widely available app can be enough to create severe harm.
Why Deepfakes Are So Harmful to Children
For a child or teen, a fake explicit image can trigger the same shame, fear, and social fallout as a real intimate image being shared without consent. Pediatric and family-safety guidance points to several common harms:
- Emotional distress, including anxiety, humiliation, depression, and a sense of violation.
- Social damage, such as bullying, rumor-spreading, and ostracism at school or online.
- Coercion or blackmail, especially when perpetrators threaten to send the image to parents, friends, or classmates.
- Ongoing fear that the image may continue circulating even after reports or takedown requests.
Actionable Decisions Parents Can Make
Parents cannot eliminate every risk, but they can reduce exposure and make it far more likely that a child will seek help early.
1. Explain deepfakes before a child encounters one
Use plain, age-appropriate language. A simple explanation works: some apps can make fake pictures that look real, including fake nude images, and using them to embarrass or exploit someone is wrong.
Make the family rule explicit: creating, requesting, or sharing fake sexual images of another person is not a joke and is never acceptable.
2. Treat photos as personal data
Teach children that even ordinary selfies can be misused once they are online. Encourage private accounts, careful sharing, and regular review of who can view, save, or forward their photos on social platforms.
Parents should also examine their own posting habits. Publicly posting large numbers of clear photos of children can increase the pool of images available for misuse.
3. Build a "pause before believing or sharing" habit
Children need a repeatable decision rule: if an image is shocking, sexual, humiliating, or seems unusual, stop before reacting or forwarding it. Older children can also be taught practical verification steps, such as checking trusted fact-checking sites or using reverse-image search tools when appropriate.
This habit helps with deepfakes, but it also strengthens broader digital resilience against scams, misinformation, and manipulation.
4. Create a no-shame reporting culture at home
Children are more likely to hide a problem when they expect to lose their phone immediately or be blamed for what happened. Parents should state clearly that if a child is targeted, pressured, or even makes a mistake by sharing something harmful, the first step will be safety and support.
That message matters because speed is critical. The earlier a child tells a parent, the faster the family can document the abuse, report it, and involve the school or platform.
5. Have a response plan before you need one
A simple plan can prevent panic. Parents should decide in advance how to preserve evidence, who at school should be contacted, and how platform reports will be filed if an incident occurs.
Useful first steps include:
- Take screenshots and save links, usernames, dates, and any threatening messages.
- Report the content through the platform's non-consensual sexual imagery or safety reporting channels.
- Notify the school if classmates are involved, because school policies may help stop further sharing and protect the targeted child.
- Consider contacting law enforcement when the case involves extortion, repeated harassment, or explicit sexualized images of a minor.
6. Watch for signs of emotional fallout
Deepfake abuse can trigger mood changes, withdrawal, sleep problems, school avoidance, or unusual physical complaints such as headaches or stomachaches. Parents should treat those signs seriously and involve a pediatrician, school counselor, or mental-health professional when symptoms persist or intensify.
A Practical Family Message
The most effective family response is calm, clear, and values-based. Children need to hear that consent, dignity, and empathy still apply when content is generated by AI, and that "fake" images can cause real harm.
Parents do not need to become technical experts to act. They do need ongoing conversations, sensible privacy habits, clear boundaries around sharing, and a response plan that helps children seek support early.
Together we can handle this.
— Rich
