By admin 
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Next week, a key part of a new federal law takes effect that is designed to help victims of AI-generated deepfake porn. But experts say the scale of the problem is already daunting.
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An investigation by Wired found students in at least 28 countries have been victimized by so-called “nudify” apps. These are AI-powered apps that can turn an innocent photo into something explicit. Wired documented cases in at least 90 schools, but those are just the cases that generated news coverage: experts say the scale is likely much more extensive.
One researcher estimated as many as 1.2 million children were victims of sexual deepfakes in just the past year. In these cases at schools, Wired found it is typically teenage boys who are creating AI nudes of their female classmates.
Arizona lawsuit alleges company profited on nudify classes
In Arizona, three women in their early 20s filed a lawsuit alleging profiteers stole their real photos and turned them into sexual content. That lawsuit claims the men did not just create and spread these nudes. They also created paid online classes, teaching other men how to do the same thing for big profits.
The lawsuit claims the classes generated millions of views and more than $50,000 in income in one month alone.
One of the plaintiffs told Arizona’s Family, “My bosses, future employers, people that I don’t know, and people that I do know are looking at me in a different light that I don’t want to be looked in.”
Federal law carries prison time
There is a federal law designed to stop the spread of non-consensual AI porn. It is called the Take It Down Act, signed by President Trump last year. It carries penalties of up to three years in prison for posting AI deepfakes of minors with the intent to harass them or cause abuse.
Those penalties have been in effect since last year. But starting May 19, websites and apps must have a system in place to remove deepfake porn within 48 hours of being notified.
Some lawmakers acknowledge this is a reactive solution, not a proactive one. And it requires the victims themselves to find the images.
Expert: Prevention starts with education
Sarah Grado, CEO of the nonprofit Not My Kid, said Arizona schools and parents are already raising concerns about students using AI on their personal cell phones or school tablets.
“They’re finding now that kids are engaging in these apps,” Grado said. “They’re finding ways to download these apps and really concerned about it.”
While cyberbullying and sexual harassment are not new, Grado said AI has changed the scale and speed of the problem.
“What’s different about it is that it’s new and it’s evolving so fast that we don’t even know necessarily the depth of it,” Grado said. “We’re seeing it have a big impact on mental health and social dynamics.”
She said adults often do not fully understand the technology children are using, making it harder to set clear boundaries.
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Teen brain development plays a role
Grado said prevention starts with helping parents understand adolescent brain development.
“When you’re in adolescence, that prefrontal cortex, that front part of your brain that guides decision-making, impulse control, thinking things through, that’s not fully connected yet,” Grado said.
She said teenagers have always taken risks, but today’s technology can make the consequences much more damaging.
“Unfortunately, with this generation, they just have access to things online that are so damaging and can really harm another person,” Grado said.
She said parents should make sure they know which apps and devices their children can access.
How parents should start the conversation
Grado said parents should approach the topic with curiosity, not accusation.
She suggested asking open-ended questions such as whether children have heard of nudify apps, whether their friends have talked about them and what they know about AI.
“Let the kid be the expert because they like being the expert a lot of the time,” Grado said. “That way we can fill in the gaps and then correct any misinformation.”
Grado said parents should not treat it as a one-time conversation.
Parents should also be on the lookout for students who may have been victimized but feel ashamed to speak up. Watch for changes in behavior like changes in sleep, eating habits, friend groups, grades or signs that a child is isolating or pulling away, she said.
“This can be tricky with teenagers because they’re teenagers,” Grado said. “But I always tell parents, listen to your gut. You know your kid best.”
Grado said parents should make it clear that if something happens, the child is not in trouble.
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