Actress-host Eswari Gunasagar speaks out after AI-generated fake images of her surface online
The Singaporean actress and TV host said the experience exposed not only the dangers of AI-generated fake images but also the harmful victim-blaming that followed online.
Singaporean Eswari Gunasagar speaks out about the harms of AI-generated sexual images and victim-blaming. (Photo: Instagram/@esh_wari)
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Singaporean actress-host Eswari Gunasagar has spoken out after becoming the target of AI-generated images depicting her with another man, highlighting the dangers of non-consensual AI-generated imagery, as well as the victim-blaming that follows.
In an Instagram video posted on Thursday (Jul 2), the 36-year-old said a man had used artificial intelligence to create a fake image of the two of them closely together at a beach, depicting her in a bikini.
“I’ve never uploaded pictures of myself in a bikini before, so I can see why this was worrying to my parents, especially,” she said.
Eswari, who married her longtime partner Shane Meyers in May, said she first learnt about the Facebook post after people alerted her to it. She reported the post and messaged the man, warning that she would file a police report if he did not remove it.
Although he did not respond, the post was taken down, leading her to believe the matter had been resolved.
The following day, however, Eswari’s father told her that a friend had found another post on the man’s Facebook profile.
According to Eswari, the man falsely claimed that she was his wife, accused her of “bullying” him, said he wanted to file a personal protection order against her, and included a caption expressing a desire to sexually assault her.
“My father was worried, and I told him, ‘Don’t worry. I’m going to make a police report,’” she said.
The Ah Girls Go Army actress said she subsequently lodged a police report, took screenshots of the posts and shared them on her own social media accounts, urging people to report the profile.
“Leave us women alone. Stop using our photos. Stop creating fake AI-generated images,” she wrote in her post. “The level of entitlement it takes to take someone’s face, manipulate it and put it online for your own sick amusement is beyond disgusting.”
In her video, Eswari said that many of her followers reported the account, and it was removed within three hours.
“For that I am so thankful. Thank you for doing that for me,” she said.
However, Eswari said what troubled her even more was the response from some social media users, including women, who blamed her for what had happened. She recalled one comment that read: “You’re a celebrity. What do you expect?”
“A person is targeted with a fake AI-generated image. Their privacy is violated. And instead of condemning the act, people choose to mock the victim,” she said. “The problem isn’t just technology. It’s the lack of empathy, the ignorance and the willingness to excuse such harmful behaviour just because it’s not happening to you.
“The moment we laugh at victims instead of standing up for them, we become part of the problem. Technology will continue to evolve. Our humanity needs to evolve with it.”
Eswari’s experience comes amid growing concern over AI-generated intimate images, also referred to as deepfakes, which have become an increasingly common form of technology-facilitated sexual abuse, particularly against women.
“If we can’t show basic empathy when someone is violated, then we have a bigger problem than AI,” she said.
Source: CNA/iz
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