'We were all Deepfaked' - five women speak out on being targeted by AI image abuse - Rayo

Five women from diverse professional backgrounds have united to share their personal experiences with non-consensual AI image abuse in a podcast series titled Deepfaked. The initiative aims to raise awareness regarding the psychological and social impacts of deepfake technology, which has seen a significant surge in reports to police over the last several years.

What happened

The participants, including Cally-Jane Beech, Narinder Kaur, Jess Asato MP, Helen Mort, and Jasmine Oak, were targeted through various forms of synthetic media. Cally-Jane Beech discovered her professional modeling photos were manipulated to depict her nude, while Narinder Kaur has been targeted by AI videos falsely showing her alongside public figures to undermine her political commentary. Jess Asato MP reported receiving misogynistic and violent deepfake content after advocating against AI-generated threats. Author Helen Mort was targeted by sexually explicit and violent imagery in 2021, and journalist Jasmine Oak experienced harassment through AI-generated content in social media comments.

The podcast panel explores how these incidents intersect with themes of misogyny, sexual abuse, and victim shaming. The discussion highlights the evolving legal landscape, noting that as of February 2026, the creation of sexually explicit deepfakes without consent is a criminal offense in the UK, punishable by fines or imprisonment. Tech platforms are now under mandates to remove non-consensual intimate imagery within 48 hours. Despite these regulations, the victims continue to navigate the challenges of identifying perpetrators and seeking adequate responses from both law enforcement and social media companies.