AI Tool Creating Fake Explicit Images: How to Protect Your Family's Photos

An investigation by WIRED found that Grok, an artificial intelligence chatbot platform, is hosting numerous fake explicit images and videos of real people. These images, called deepfakes, were created using AI technology to make it appear that real individuals are in explicit situations they were never actually in. The investigation found fake images of celebrities and at least one U.S. politician on the platform. These images were created and shared without the consent of the people depicted.

While this specific incident involves public figures, the technology used to create these fake images can be used on anyone's photos. If your family shares photos on social media or public websites, those images could potentially be misused by people with access to similar AI tools. This is especially concerning for teenagers and young adults who regularly post photos online. The existence of these tools on mainstream AI platforms makes this technology more accessible to people who might misuse it. Protect your family by taking these immediate steps:

1. Talk to your children and teenagers about this technology and explain that their photos could be misused if shared publicly online.
2. Review privacy settings on all social media accounts and set photos to private or friends-only whenever possible.
3. Limit the number of clear face photos shared publicly, especially of children.
4. Teach family members never to share photos with people they do not know well or trust completely.
5. Set up Google Alerts for family members' names so you can monitor if their images appear in unexpected places online. For ongoing safety, make privacy a regular conversation in your household. Review social media privacy settings together as a family at least twice a year, as platforms frequently change their policies. Encourage children to ask permission before posting photos that include other people. Consider using watermarks on family photos posted online. Most importantly, remind everyone that once an image is posted publicly online, you lose control over how it might be used. Building these habits now helps protect your family's digital reputation and safety for years to come.