One of the most difficult aspects of trying to launch a mini-campaign about this problem that most people prefer not to think about is the “series of despair and despair” so graphically described in John Bunyan’s 1678 Christian Doctrine, Pilgrim’s Progress. Now 12 days into my self-proclaimed crusade, I’m only beginning to understand the magnitude of the problem. Which is the increasingly widespread abuse of AI text-to-image community ‘art’ platforms to object to provocative depictions of women with enlarged body parts. A search for images of ‘girls’ in Deviantart’s online ‘gallery’ is enough to discourage anyone with genuine concerns about the scourge.
And nobody cares! As things stand now, AI community ‘art’ platforms are completely unregulated. Therefore, they are used interchangeably when it comes to images of women. Adult/Not-Safe/Appropriate Work (NSFW) depictions of the female form are laced with exclusivity—to suggest that having a set of societal standards is merely a box-ticking exercise.
Yet even Dilly E (a leading AI ‘art’ software developer) believes that users demanding unrestricted image generation need to consider the “long-term implications of completely unstructured AI tools”. These are summarized in an argument-e generator Essay Among other things, it draws attention to the importance of:
Preventing harmful image generation (noting that “AI tools often prevent explicit, violent or illegal content”))
Avoid copyright infringement (noting that “many platforms restrict the reproduction of copyrighted characters, logos, and artwork”)).
· Ethical concerns (noting that “AI can be misused to create misleading or deeply fake images”), and
· Fairness (noting that “restrictions help prevent AI from producing discriminatory or biased content”).
Clearly, don’t give online ‘galleries’ a jot! Featuring an avalanche of images depicting women with exaggerated body parts, they are accessible to anyone with basic internet browsing skills.
The European Union (EU’s) AI Act is often called “the world’s first comprehensive horizontal law governing artificial intelligence” (aiprm) in part since August 2024, its “Surprised“Implementation may take another two years. And finally, the act will have a significant impact on companies doing business with EU member states.
But after engagement with the US administration, “adjustments” to some of its provisions and “other digital regulations” are now being considered “as part of a broader simplification process” ((Reuters ) – pointing to the obvious possibility of implementation delays and diluted content.
It’s not like legislating against objectifying women is going to be taken as seriously as intellectual property and copyright anyway.
No wonder I’m worried…