WASHINGTON D.C.- Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D, NY) is pressing major technology and social media companies to take stronger action against the spread of non-consensual, sexualized images generated by artificial intelligence, warning that the rapidly growing problem threatens the safety and privacy of Americans.
Gillibrand joined seven other senators in a letter sent to the nation’s largest tech platforms, calling for detailed explanations of how companies plan to detect, remove, and prevent the distribution of AI-generated sexual images created without a person’s consent. The senators also asked how platforms notify victims when such content appears and what steps are being taken to stop repeat offenders.
“Americans should be able to post images of themselves and their children online without fear of fake, sexualized images being produced by bullies and pedophiles,” Gillibrand said in a statement. “Platforms have a responsibility to stop their AI tools from being used to harass, exploit, and endanger people.”
The lawmakers say that these images may violate existing laws prohibiting child sexual abuse material, as well as laws against nonconsensual intimate imagery involving adults. Even when images are not explicitly nude, they can still be deeply harmful, the senators said, particularly when they depict individuals in sexualized or suggestive ways without their knowledge.
For Gillibrand, who has made online safety and protections for women and children a recurring focus of her work in the Senate, the issue has direct implications for New Yorkers. She said the unchecked spread of AI-generated abuse risks turning popular online platforms into spaces where exploitation can flourish.
“I will continue fighting to protect New Yorkers online and stop these platforms from becoming safe havens for exploitation and criminal abuse,” Gillibrand said.
The lawmakers said addressing the problem will require cooperation between policymakers, technology companies, and the broader online ecosystem.
“Protecting the privacy, dignity, and safety of individuals, especially women and minors who are frequent targets, is a responsibility shared by platforms, policymakers, and the broader ecosystem,” the senators concluded.
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