Sports presenter targeted with explicit AI-generated deepfakes
A New Zealand sports broadcaster reported being targeted with explicit AI-generated deepfakes created from her photos. After she initially complained in May, she faced online accusations of fabricating the issue and later released censored versions of the content to demonstrate its existence and educate the public about deepfakes.
What happened
Tiffany Salmond, a New Zealand broadcaster who reported from the sidelines of NRL matches for Radio New Zealand and Fox Sports, reported being targeted with explicit deepfake content created using artificial intelligence.
In May, Salmond complained publicly about the deepfakes, but subsequently faced online accusations that she had fabricated the issue for publicity. She later shared censored versions of the explicit AI-generated images on social media to educate people about deepfakes and counter claims that the content did not exist.
Reported impact
Salmond stated that the online abuse worsened following her initial complaint in May, with continued narratives accusing her of fabricating the story for attention.
She described the deepfakes as a violation, suggesting they were created to target women perceived as owning their body and exuding confidence.
Index analysis
The deepfakes were explicit synthetic images created from Salmond's original photos without her consent. Among the content was a doctored version of a photo she had posted alongside a newspaper article about condemning deepfakes.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
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