Berliner Tageblatt - AI used to make 'fetishised' images of disabled women

The photo-realistic sexualised images, which have gained millions of views on social media, are deceptive as they are often not labelled as AI-generated.

Some account owners use artificial intelligence to manipulate real images of non-disabled women, making them appear to have Down syndrome, a genetic condition caused by an extra chromosome.

One such TikTok video of a young woman dancing in shorts and a cropped top has had 4 million views since last year.

The British Down's Syndrome Association condemned the "alarming trend".

"This is a scam and is not only in bad taste but is potentially offensive and hurtful to people who have Down's syndrome," the charity said in comments sent to AFP.

Disabled women and girls already face a higher risk of sexual violence globally.

In Britain, women with disabilities are nearly twice as likely to be sexually assaulted, according to the Office for National Statistics.

The images show "very fetishised bodies" and "very sexual content", said Aisha Sobey, a University of Cambridge researcher studying generative AI.

Kamran Mallick, CEO of Disability Rights UK, said the images are "exploitation" and recall "historical freak shows of people being wheeled out for the amusement of others".

These AI influencers "are mostly young white women," said Emanuel Maiberg of the 404 Media tech news outlet who has covered the trend.

"It certainly seems like content that is more outrageous, novel, or weird, gets more engagement."

Higgsfield, a platform for generating virtual models, gives creators options to add scars, burns, albinism -- a lack of melanin pigmentation -- and vitiligo, which causes white patches on the skin.

"The internet doesn't want a perfect face. It wants character. So give them scars, give them style," says a promotional video for Higgsfield, adding "AI influencers with vitiligo have been really popular lately".

- 'Harmful and unacceptable' -

The AI images are often medically unlikely or impossible.

One creator labelled as based in Germany shows an AI model with albinism in a strappy vest top driving a car without glasses -- despite the fact that many with the condition have poor eyesight.

An Instagram account with millions of views shows a woman in swimsuits and gymwear whose body is bisected by vitiligo so she is exactly half white and half brown.

"This form of AI use is harmful and unacceptable," the Vitiligo Society told AFP.

"When AI creates fictional individuals with vitiligo and portrays them as authentic members of the community, this crosses into the territory of misinformation," said the British charity.

Real influencers with albinism told AFP that most AI-generated content fetishises the condition and is inaccurate.

US influencer Kayla Ludlow, who has 857,000 followers on TikTok, said in a video responding to AFP's questions that she could understand people trying filters out of curiosity.

But "especially with the AI model content, that just seems like it's a fetish," she said.

Unlike real influencers, the models "don't have a personality or a life or something for you to be invested with", she said.

"It just feels wrong to fetishise albinism in that way," said British influencer Mio, 22, who posts about makeup and skincare to her more than 47,000 followers on Instagram and TikTok.

"I think the main reason is to make money, which is so intensely wrong."

AI images perpetuate "misinformation", for example that people with albinism have red eyes, she said.

Other AI models trivialise and sexualise severe medical conditions.

One Instagram page with 400,000 followers, apparently based in the United States, shows conjoined twins in bikinis on the beach.

R.Adler--BTB