Users of popular AI chatbots are generating bikini deepfakes by manipulating photos of fully clothed women, often without consent. Online discussions show how generative AI tools can be misused to create sexually suggestive deepfakes from ordinary images, raising concerns about image-based abuse.
A now-deleted Reddit thread shared prompts for using Google’s Gemini to alter clothing in photographs. One post asked for a woman’s traditional dress to be changed to a bikini. Reddit removed the content and later banned the subreddit over deepfake-related harassment.
Researchers and digital rights advocates warn that nonconsensual deepfakes remain a persistent form of online harassment. Millions of users have visited AI-powered websites designed to undress people in photos. The trend reflects growing harm enabled by increasingly realistic image generation tools.
Most mainstream AI chatbots prohibit the creation of explicit images and apply safeguards to prevent abuse. However, recent advances in image-editing models have made it easier for users to bypass guardrails using simple prompts, according to limited testing and expert assessments.
Technology companies say their policies ban altering a person’s likeness without consent, with penalties including account suspensions. Legal experts argue that deepfakes involving sexualised imagery represent a core risk of generative AI and that accountability must extend to both users and platforms.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech, and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
AI chatbots modelled on Jesus are becoming increasingly popular over Christmas, offering companionship or faith guidance to people who may feel emotionally vulnerable during the holidays.
Experts warn that such tools could gradually reshape religious belief and practice. Training data is controlled by a handful of technology firms, which means AI systems may produce homogenised and biased interpretations instead of reflecting the diversity of real-world faith communities.
Users who are young or unfamiliar with AI may also struggle to judge the accuracy or intent behind the answers they receive.
Researchers say AI chatbots are currently used as a supplement rather than a replacement for religious teaching.
However, concern remains that people may begin to rely on AI for spiritual reassurance during sensitive moments. Scholars recommend limiting use over the holidays and prioritising conversations with family, friends or trusted religious leaders instead of seeking emotional comfort from a chatbot.
Experts also urge users to reflect carefully on who designs these systems and why. Fact-checking answers and grounding faith in recognised sources may help reduce the risk of distortion as AI plays a growing role in people’s daily lives.
Would you like to learn more aboutAI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
OpenAI has introduced new Personalisation settings in ChatGPT that allow users to fine-tune warmth, enthusiasm and emoji use. The changes are designed to make conversations feel more natural, instead of relying on a single default tone.
ChatGPT users can set each element to More, Less or Default, alongside existing tone styles such as Professional, Candid and Quirky. The update follows previous adjustments, where OpenAI first dialled back perceived agreeableness, then later increased warmth after users said the system felt overly cold.
Experts have raised concerns that highly agreeable AI could encourage emotional dependence, even as users welcome a more flexible conversational style.
Some commentators describe the feature as empowering, while others question whether customising a chatbot’s personality risks blurring emotional boundaries.
The new tone controls continue broader industry debates about how human-like AI should become. OpenAI hopes that added transparency and user choice will balance personal preference with responsible design, instead of encouraging reliance on a single conversational style.
Would you like to learn more aboutAI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
The Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) announced it will investigate AI-based online search services over concerns that using news articles without permission could violate antitrust laws.
Authorities said such practices may amount to an abuse of a dominant bargaining position under Japan’s antimonopoly regulations.
The inquiry is expected to examine services from global tech firms, including Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI’s ChatGPT, as well as US startup Perplexity AI and Japanese company LY Corp. AI search tools summarise online content, including news articles, raising concerns about their effect on media revenue.
The Japan Newspaper Publishers and Editors Association warned AI summaries may reduce website traffic and media revenue. JFTC Secretary General Hiroo Iwanari said generative AI is evolving quickly, requiring careful review to keep up with technological change.
The investigation reflects growing global scrutiny of AI services and their interaction with content providers, with regulators increasingly assessing the balance between innovation and fair competition in digital markets.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Italy’s competition authority has ordered Meta to halt restrictions limiting rival AI chatbots on WhatsApp. Regulators say the measures may distort competition as Meta integrates its own AI services.
The Italian watchdog argues Meta’s conduct risks restricting market access and slowing technical development. Officials warned that continued enforcement could cause lasting harm to competition and consumer choice.
Meta rejected the ruling and confirmed plans to appeal, calling the decision unfounded. The company stated that WhatsApp Business was never intended to serve as a distribution platform for AI services.
The case forms part of a broader European push to scrutinise dominant tech firms. Regulators are increasingly focused on the integration of AI across platforms with entrenched market power.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
A significant debate has erupted in South Korea after the National Assembly passed new legislation aimed at tackling so-called fake news.
The revised Information and Communications Network Act bans the circulation of false or fabricated information online. It allows courts to impose punitive damages up to five times the losses suffered when media outlets or YouTubers intentionally spread disinformation for unjust profit.
Journalists, unions and academics warn that the law could undermine freedom of expression and weaken journalism’s watchdog function instead of strengthening public trust.
Critics argue that ambiguity over who decides what constitutes fake news could shift judgement away from the courts and toward regulators or platforms, encouraging self-censorship and increasing the risk of abusive lawsuits by influential figures.
Experts also highlight the lack of strong safeguards in South Korea against malicious litigation compared with the US, where plaintiffs must prove fault by journalists.
The controversy reflects more profound public scepticism about South Korean media and long-standing reporting practices that sometimes rely on relaying statements without sufficient verification, suggesting that structural reform may be needed instead of rapid, punitive legislation.
Would you like to learn more aboutAI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Increasingly, YouTube creators are utilising AI-generated music to enhance video quality, saving time and costs. Selecting tracks that align with the content tone and audience expectations is crucial for engagement.
Subtle, balanced music supports narration without distraction and guides viewers through sections. Thoughtful use of intros, transitions and outros builds channel identity and reinforces branding.
Customisation tools allow creators to adjust tempo, mood and intensity for better pacing and cohesion with visuals. Testing multiple versions ensures the music feels natural and aligns with storytelling.
Understanding licensing terms protects monetisation and avoids copyright issues. Combining AI music with creative judgement keeps content authentic and original while maximising production impact.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech, and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Meta has restricted access in India to two AI-generated videos posted by the Congress party. The clips depicted Prime Minister Narendra Modi alongside Gautam Adani, Chairman of the Adani Group.
The company stated that the content did not violate its community standards. Action followed takedown notices issued by Delhi Police under India’s information technology laws.
Meta warned that ignoring the orders could jeopardise safe harbour protections. Loss of those protections would expose platforms to direct legal liability.
The case highlights growing scrutiny of political AI content in India. Recent rule changes have tightened procedures for ordering online takedowns.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Japan’s competition authority will probe AI search services from major domestic and international tech firms. The investigation aims to identify potential antitrust violations rather than impose immediate sanctions.
The probe is expected to cover LY Corp., Google, Microsoft and AI providers such as OpenAI and Perplexity AI. Concerns centre on how AI systems present and utilise news content within search results.
Legal action by Japanese news organisations alleges unauthorised use of articles by AI services. Regulators are assessing whether such practices constitute abuse of market dominance.
The inquiry builds on a 2023 review of news distribution contracts that warned against the use of unfair terms for publishers. Similar investigations overseas, including within the EU, have guided the commission’s approach.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech, and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Mandatory facial verification will be introduced in South Korea for anyone opening a new mobile phone account, as authorities try to limit identity fraud.
Officials said criminals have been using stolen personal details to set up phone numbers that later support scams such as voice phishing instead of legitimate services.
Major mobile carriers, including LG Uplus, Korea Telecom and SK Telecom, will validate users by matching their faces against biometric data stored in the PASS digital identity app.
Such a requirement expands the country’s identity checks rather than replacing them outright, and is intended to make it harder for fraud rings to exploit stolen data at scale.
The measure follows a difficult year for data security in South Korea, marked by cyber incidents affecting more than half the population.
SK Telecom reported a breach involving all 23 million of its customers and now faces more than $1.5 billion in penalties and compensation.
Regulators also revealed that mobile virtual network operators were linked to 92% of counterfeit phones uncovered in 2024, strengthening the government’s case for tougher identity controls.
Would you like to learn more aboutAI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
