Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez recently revealed a distressing personal experience with artificial intelligence (AI)-generated deepfake pornography, highlighting the tangible dangers and emotional impacts of such digital forgeries. While discussing legislation in a car with her aides, Ocasio-Cortez encountered an AI-created image that depicted her in a sexual act. This alarming discovery, she shared with Rolling Stone, not only shocked her but also resurfaced trauma from a past physical sexual assault, affecting her profoundly.
The representative’s encounter with deepfake content underscores the growing issue of digital violations that can cause lasting psychological harm. Ocasio-Cortez emphasized the difficulty in distinguishing between digital fabrications and reality, pointing out the “real, real effects” on both victims and those who inadvertently view such content. Drawing a parallel to the physical violation, she voiced concerns about the potential for such deepfakes to lead to severe consequences, including suicide.
In response to this growing threat, Ocasio-Cortez is leading the charge in Congress with the introduction of the Disrupt Explicit Forged Images and Non-Consensual Edits (DEFIANCE) Act of 2024. This legislation aims to empower victims of nonconsensual AI pornography by simplifying the process for them to take legal action against the creators, distributors, and consumers of such content. The bill has garnered bipartisan support, illustrating the widespread recognition of the need to address the harms caused by digital sexual exploitation.
Ocasio-Cortez views the malicious use of AI to create explicit content without consent as part of a broader issue of societal subjugation, particularly against women. By digitally objectifying and humiliating women on a massive scale, she argues, such practices can contribute to the erosion of women’s rights and dignity.
Despite facing online harassment and targeted attacks, including doctored photos and threats aimed at pushing her out of the public sphere, Ocasio-Cortez remains defiant. Her experience with deepfake pornography has only strengthened her resolve to combat digital exploitation and protect individuals from the harmful effects of AI-generated content.