Study says teenage girls are using AI to create sexual images

Teenage girls are using so-called nude apps at the same rate as teenage boys, according to a new study. Artificial intelligence-powered undressing tools allow users to create sexualized images of a person, usually by uploading a photo.

The results surprised Dr. Chad MS. Steele, a digital forensics researcher at George Mason University who studies technology-facilitated crimes against children.

“Men tend to engage more in all types of online sexual activity, whether it’s sexting or viewing pornographic content, and there are typically much stronger signals for men than for women,” Steele said of the findings published Wednesday in the Journal. pro swan.

In January 2025, Steele conducted an online survey of 557 English-speaking youth ages 13 to 17. Even a year ago, Steele found widespread use of nudity tools. 55% of respondents said they had created sexual images, and 54% said they had received them.

More than a third of teens say they have been victimized by technology. More than a third reported that someone had created an image of them without their consent, and a third said their image had been shared without their permission.

Approximately one in six teenage girls and boys frequently used nude tools to check their appearance. Roughly the same proportion of teenage girls shared such images with others “once or twice”. A slightly smaller proportion of boys reported the same behavior.

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Why girls use nude tools

Steele did not ask the teens why they used nude tools, although sexting is common. He suspects that the popularity of clothing and makeup visualization tools that allow girls to “try on” is fueling an affinity for the same type of engagement as stripping apps. Coupled with male coercion towards sexually explicit images, Steele explained, teenage girls may find themselves using familiar technology to cope with the pressure.

Dr Linda Charmaraman, who researches girls’ well-being with a focus on social media and digital health, was not involved in the study. She reviewed the research and told Mashable that teens are in a delicate developmental period where they are forming identities and seeking social connection and approval.

“That development time, combined with AI, may pose additional risks,” Charmaraman, director of Wellesley College’s Youth, Media and Human Services Laboratory, said in an email. “For example, there may be a lot of pressure for female students to produce certain types of content in order to fit in with their peers or increase their social status.”

Boys reported higher rates of use of generative AI than girls in creating and distributing sexual images, regardless of the subject’s permission.

Steele said he hopes his results can be replicated among a larger sample of teens.

“In this case, I would like to know that I had a very unusual subset,” Steele said.

Charmaraman said the survey’s nationally representative sample and effective quality checks showed it was reaching a diverse range of households. But she wondered whether the way the study was advertised could attract “tech-savvy” participants and skew the results.

Important points for parents

• Nudity has become the norm.
  Steele said the findings suggest that use of nudity tools by teens is widespread, and “we don’t know what the impact will be.”

• How to talk to your teen about nude images.
  Steele encourages parents to consider the possibility that their children may come across nude tools and images, and to speak openly about the risks. He added that focusing on abstention doesn’t work, given that teenagers may see AI-generated sexual images as a natural extension of their own exploration of sexuality.

  Charmaraman recommends having regular conversations about what’s going on in your teens’ digital lives. This builds a strong foundation so that even if parents learn of tragic incidents such as AI-generated sexual images being shared without consent, lines of communication are already open. Rather than immediately restricting apps and devices, Charmaraman suggests finding out more about a teen’s intentions, such as why they want to create sexual images or if they were forced to do so by a stranger or peer.

• Suppression of illegal images.
  Steele said teens often don’t realize that when they use stripping tools, they’re creating so-called child sexual abuse material. If the images were consensually shared with the adolescent’s friends, they are unlikely to face legal repercussions.

  To deter teens from creating and sharing images without permission, Steele recommends policymakers consider a bystander approach that teaches teens the value of speaking up if they learn that a friend or colleague is using AI to generate sexualized images of a victim.

  Charmaraman had previously advocated for a “duty of care” standard that would shift responsibility for safety from users to the technology companies that design the platforms.

  “Tech companies also need to provide tools that allow minors and their parents to manage their digital experiences, including the ability to disable certain product features and protect personal information,” he said.

• Danger of sextortion.

  Teens may not necessarily understand that predators have a vested interest in amassing a collection of child sexual abuse materials, including AI-generated images. Adult predators may solicit this content from teens online or use nudity apps to create images based on publicly available photos of their victims. Some predators may even attempt to sextort teens using naked images they create themselves.

  Steele said parents and teens should be aware of this possibility. Teens may consider using social media account protection, such as keeping their accounts private and allowing only famous followers to access their photos.

If you have had intimate images shared without your consent, call the Cyber ​​Civil Rights Initiative’s 24/7 hotline at 844-878-2274 for free, confidential assistance. The CCRI website also includes: Useful information and list international resources.

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Socially good families and child rearing