Peru: Explicit AI-Manipulated Photo of Sports Presenter Nair Aliaga Spreads Online
The Coalition For Women In Journalism and Women Press Freedom is increasingly alarmed by the abuse of AI technology to target and undermine women journalists.
Location: Peru, Lima
Date: December 19, 2023
An AI-manipulated photograph depicting Golperú journalist Nair Aliaga without clothing was shared online. The Coalition for Women in Journalism and Women Press Freedom strongly denounces the distribution of the image that violates Aliaga’s privacy, tarnishes her professional reputation, and creates an environment of fear and intimidation. We are deeply concerned about the growing use of artificial intelligence to create fake content involving journalists. Social media platforms must enhance their content moderation measures to swiftly identify and remove such fabricated and offensive content.
"With artificial intelligence, they put one's face on other people. From a photo I posted on social media, they removed the shirt and bra and started sharing it. They edited it to make me look naked. It was an invention. They can do it to you or me, to anyone," warns sports journalist Nair Aliaga after an AI-altered image of her circulated online.
On December 19, 2023, initially shocked and surprised, Aliaga took to her social media to address the issue, explaining that the image is a result of a malicious AI-generated montage.
In conversation with Perú21, the journalist says she eventually decided to delete her post about the photo as instead of condemning the gross violations, many users expressed a morbid curiosity about the doctored image. Aliaga expressed her disappointment at the insensitive and inappropriate comments she received on social media after going public.
“There were so many sick people commenting that they wanted to see the photo, and I was really disappointed with what was happening”
"Many guys were commenting 'send me the photo,' and honestly, I deleted it because it made me uncomfortable, but not because I regretted wanting to expose this. There were so many sick people commenting that they wanted to see the photo, and I was really disappointed with what was happening," she says.
Aliaga rightly points out that this incident is not isolated, with similar violations against journalists reported in various countries. Over the last few months, CFWIJ has documented several cases of AI-generated deepfake videos targeting women journalists in the United States and South Africa. Users are taking advantage of AI tools to create fake content to manipulate the image and voices of journalists. This worrying new trend of attacking journalists is escalating as AI software becomes more available and online platforms are doing little to stop the spread of fabricated and troubling AI content.
As a woman sports presenter, Aliaga is even more susceptible to objectification and online harassment. The explicit AI-generated image aims to undermine her work as a journalist. It is utterly deplorable and must be resoundingly condemned by her fellow sports reporters and colleagues. The Coalition For Women In Journalism and Women Press Freedom commends Aliaga for speaking publicly about the incident, despite the disappointing response. Images intended to objectify women journalists in this way are a disgusting violation of their privacy and dignity. Social media companies and online platforms must act swiftly when such images are circulated. Content policies must be robust enough to tackle the escalating threat of AI-manipulated content targeting journalists and women in general.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.