Navigating the ethical Quagmire
By: Arooj Khalid
Have you ever scrolled through your social media feed and encountered news about Sulli Deals or Bulli Bai? If not, allow me to introduce you to these terms. Sulli Deals, an app created in 2021 and hosted on GitHub, shockingly listed hundreds of Muslim women for auction.
Accounts featuring these women were generated using their photographs without their consent. In 2022, a similar app named Bulli Bai emerged, serving the same sinister purpose as Sulli Deals. It was also hosted on GitHub, putting Muslim women up for auction.
This app sent daily notifications like “your Bulli Bai of the day is…” to those interested in auctioning these women. These photos were taken from the social media accounts of these women and posted without their permission. Imagine being auctioned off without even knowing it. How horrifying is that? It is deeply alarming how technology and artificial intelligence have given rise to such issues.
AI, or artificial intelligence, has been molding our world for decades now. People have increasingly come to rely on it, even for basic questions they could answer using their own reasoning. This reliance stems from their confidence in the authenticity and factual knowledge that AI provides.
From tackling minor problems to conducting research, people have harnessed the myriad advantages of AI, saving time and enhancing accuracy. For some individuals, AI has even become a source of interaction. I’ve witnessed people engaging in random conversations with AI, treating it like a real person. So, what exactly is AI, and who are its developers?
Artificial Intelligence refers to the replication of human intelligence in machines capable of performing tasks that typically require human cognitive abilities, such as problem-solving, learning, decision-making, or any task the human mind can handle. The development of AI was not hasty but rather the result of a series of events over several decades, driven by advancements in human understanding.
The development of AI has involved numerous researchers and organizations. Some prominent pioneers and contributors include Alan Turing, John McCarthy, Marvin Minsky, and Seymour Papert. However, as with anything, AI has its drawbacks. French cultural theorist and philosopher Paul Virilio said, “Technology cannot exist without the potential for accidents, arguing that the invention of the locomotive inherently carried the possibility of derailment”. In simple terms, every ascent has its descent, and everything comes with its downsides.
The same holds true for AI, which indeed has its fair share of cons. Alongside the development of AI, text-to-image software tools like Midjourney and Dall-E have emerged. These platforms are trained to create perfect and immaculate digital images instantly, guided solely by textual prompts.
According to data released by OpenAI from April to September 2022, an astonishing 1.5 million people used the Dall-E platform, generating an average of 2 million images per day. Isn’t it disconcerting to think that anyone can create any image with mere text? What’s even more troubling is that these images and videos are so flawless that distinguishing them from the originals becomes incredibly challenging.
Before the advent of such platforms, it was relatively easy to spot a photoshopped image due to its unnatural features and anatomical mistakes. However, these software tools seldom make such mistakes. These AI-generated pictures, videos, and audios can be easily exploited to deceive people, steal money, blackmail and spread misinformation. Given the widespread use of social media, this content circulates rapidly on the internet, making it a significant threat to us all.
In addition to generating images, AI has the capability to edit pictures, which is even more concerning. I recently came across a BBC article with the headline, “AI-generated child images shock Spanish town of Almendralejo.”
After reading the article thoroughly, I learned of an incident in Spain in which images of girls were edited with the help of AI. Apparently, the photos of the girls were taken from their social media accounts and then manipulated through an AI app, creating explicit images of them.
The age group of these girls ranged from 11 to 17 years. This incident has caused significant upheaval in the area, with tech advocates demanding ruling on artificial intelligence, as it clearly appears to be a threat to mankind. These incidents clearly show how unsafe people are becoming with the advancement of AI.
AI is catalyzing a digital dilemma, one that, when experienced, may lead to depression and illicit conduct. Artificial intelligence can be readily weaponized against individuals, posing a formidable concern. It’s not only mischievous users but also criminals who have access to AI, intensifying this issue. While we cannot entirely resolve this problem, we can take measures to safeguard ourselves.
Avoid the sharing of personal information and photos on public social platforms, as their misuse can have a lasting impact on one’s mental well-being. Routinely assess your social media connections and promptly remove individuals displaying suspicious behavior. If you encounter any problems, report them to the cybercrime authorities. Openly communicate with your family if someone attempts to blackmail you. Parents should also oversee their children’s online activities and report any attempts to exploit their offspring. Moreover, we should aim to reduce our excessive reliance on artificial intelligence. Parents should prioritize enriching their children’s lives with both indoor and outdoor activities instead of merely providing them with mobile phones—a practice that has become all too common. Only through these proactive measures can we shield ourselves from the looming threats to humanity. The question of what the future holds still remains a pressing concern.
(The author is pursuing bachelors of Arts in English literature from Jamia Millia Islamia)
