From Deepfakes to Disinformation: AI’s Role in Technology-Facilitated Violence Against Women and Girls
Definitions
VAWG- Violence Against Women and Girls
TF VAWG- Technology Facilitated Violence Against Women and Girls
Deepfakes- AI generated videos whereby someone’s likeness is manipulated to make it look like they are doing something or saying something they never actually did
IBSA -Image Based Sexual Abuse
AI enabled violence has a significant impact on women, affecting both their mental health and their sense of social standing. Mingeirou et al (2026) writes that according to the UN VAWG is reaching a tipping point, with women sharing that their experience of online violence demonstrates a normalisation of abuse that shapes who can participate in public discourse. Online violence serves to silence and cause women to self-censor withdrawing from public participation and leadership roles. TF VAWG in particular is a gateway to radicalisation and violent extremism with AI enabled VAWG establishing itself as a structural threat to human rights, social cohesion and inclusive governance, making it not just a gender issue. Women human rights activists and journalists are the most targeted by AI enabled violence with AI disinformation campaigns discrediting their work due to them challenging powerful interests and social norms. For women in public life deepfakes can be used to humiliate, challenge their public standing and reputation.
Lauren Bates (UN, 2025) states that deepfakes and AI facilitated violence overwhelmingly impacts women as it is about the root cause of misogyny and a digital manifestation of a larger offline truth: men target women for gender violence and abuse. Bailey et al (2021) writes that sexual deepfakes undermine the autonomy of women because they control sexual expression and freedom, using their bodies as puppets for objectification. When a Women’s image is manipulated she can suffer fear, anxiety, humiliation, loss of privacy and lack of agency. It does not matter if the image is real or not, it matters that their sexual representation is being used for purposes beyond their control and without their consent.
There are several examples of where AI has been used to target women specifically. A prominent example being former Vice President Kamala Harris. During her campaign in 2024 Kamala Harris was targeted by racist and misogynistic AI videos promoting disinformation about the election such as videos of her slurring words. These posts according to Rodriguez (2024) focused on sexualised and racist narratives including claims about her dating information and eligibility to be President. These posts aimed to undermine women’s role in democracy and ability to hold office and don’t just exist to troll.
The BBC documentary 2022 “deepfake porn: could you be next” explores cases where women have been targeted by online sexual deepfakes. Lauren Book a former US Senator was targeted by deepfakes and was then blackmailed with the threat of “$3000 and a bl***ob” not to post the images. Lauren Book is a survivor of child sex abuse and she believes this is part of the reason she was targeted, adding another layer to her victimisation. Anti IBSA activist Kate Issacs was another woman who was targeted with deepfake nonconsensual imagery with the perpetrator commenting on her video “Anti porn crusader Kate Issacs wants to get rid of porn because she’s scared her own tape will come out”.
Without interventions to force companies to put guardrails on AI and a robust legislative framework to hold perpetrators to account, AI enabled violence will be a continuous targeted problem for women. This article outlines the misogynistic nature of AI enabled violence and the threat to democracy, women’s rights and participation in society. Although the nature of AI enabled violence is gendered, it is something everyone in society should be concerned about.
This article is the first in a series on feminist responses to AI aiming to explore what feminists should be concerned about and what responses feminists can take. The series will culminate in a lunch time seminar online on the 7th September at 1pm, you can register your interest here.
References
Bailey et al (2021) Artificial Intelligence and the Law in Canada in Martin-Bariteau, F, and Scassa, T (ed). Toronto, Ontario, Lexisnexis Canada, Available at: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3734663. [Accessed 24 Aug. 2026].
BBC (2022). Deepfake porn: Could you be next? [online] www.bbc.co.uk. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001c1mt/deepfake-porn-could-you-be-next [Accessed 25 Aug. 2026].
Mingeirou, K., Osman, Y. and Rafin, R. (2026). The impact of artificial intelligence on violence against women and girls • stimson center. [online] Stimson Center. Available at: https://www.stimson.org/2026/the-impact-of-artificial-intelligence-on-violence-against-women-and-girls/ [Accessed 25 Aug. 2026].
Rodriguez, B. (2024). Racist, misogynist online disinformation is already being used against Kamala Harris’ campaign. [online] The 19th. Available at: https://19thnews.org/2024/07/racist-misogynist-online-disinformation-is-being-used-against-kamala-harris-campaign/ [Accessed 25 Aug. 2026].
UN Women (2025). AI-powered online abuse: How AI is amplifying violence against women and what can stop it | UN women – headquarters. [online] UN Women. Available at: https://www.unwomen.org/en/articles/faqs/ai-powered-online-abuse-how-ai-is-amplifying-violence-against-women-and-what-can-stop-it [Accessed 25 Aug. 2026].