Abuse in the age of AI is digital danger of our time

AS we step into the bustling energy and optimism of a new year, across society, people and institutions alike are not only adjusting to change — they’re chasing it.

From automation that’s meant to make work easier, to apps that promise access, opportunity and connection, tech has been sold to us as freedom. As progress. As something that will finally close the gaps our governments never did. And in many ways, that’s true!

Digital tools have helped people learn, earn, organise and be heard in ways that were once impossible. They’ve opened doors for communities that were historically excluded, given voices to those who were often ignored, and created spaces where knowledge, ideas, and opportunity can flow freely — at least in theory.

But they’ve also exposed a sinister reality that we cannot turn away from: the very tools meant to empower, connect, and educate can also be twisted into instruments of abuse. People exploit the simplest, most obvious features of technology — anonymity, encryption, instant sharing, even AI meant for creation — to hurt the most vulnerable while hiding in plain sight.

What was designed to open doors becomes a playground for predators, loopholes for criminals, and a mirror for society’s worst impulses. It is a reminder that every advancement carries consequences we rarely stop to think about, and that progress without accountability can be as dangerous as it is exciting.

For example, using AI and basic 3D software, 27-year-old Hugh Nelson transformed ordinary pictures of young children into deepfake abuse content. His clients? Fathers, uncles, family friends. The horror isn’t the tech; it’s the people who exploit it, and the deplorable nature it exposes about our world today.

These are the same spaces where children are supposed to be safe, where trust is meant to protect them, and yet technology has given predators a way to turn that trust into a weapon.

This isn’t just happening to children. Take Indian journalist Rana Ayyub, who has been relentlessly targeted online for exposing corruption and hate politics. Deepfake images, doctored videos, and coordinated harassment campaigns have been weaponised against her — and many others — turning technology into a tool of intimidation and fear.

Just like with Nelson, tech isn’t neutral; it has the ability to amplify harm, shield abusers, and punish those who dare to challenge repressive systems. It shows that abuse doesn’t just happen in isolation; it thrives wherever power, anonymity, and opportunity intersect.

The reality is that not everyone experiences technology the same way. Marginalised communities, children, and women are far more exposed to digital abuse because they often have fewer resources, less protection, and limited access to the systems meant to keep them safe.

Technology doesn’t exist in a vacuum — it amplifies the inequalities that already exist in society. Every loophole exploited online is another reminder that justice, safety, and accountability lag far, far behind innovation.

It’s not just AI or deepfakes — even everyday apps and platforms carry risks we rarely notice. Location sharing, unsecured accounts, and seemingly innocent social media posts can all be manipulated to stalk, harass, or exploit. While we celebrate progress, predators are learning the rules of these new spaces faster than the rest of us. And until we teach digital literacy as a matter of survival, the vulnerable will continue paying the price for our collective inattention.

In fact, in its 2024 Annual Data & Insights Report, the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) stated that there was a staggering 380% increase in reports of actionable AI-generated child sexual abuse material, compared to 2023. It also stated that approximately 92% (7 063) of the images and videos were so photorealistic that they were visually indistinguishable from real abuse and were processed as “real” imagery.

These numbers aren’t just statistics — they are a stark warning. They show how rapidly technology is being weaponised, how quickly harm can spread, and how unprepared our systems are to respond in real time.

Digital technology is supposed to make life easier, faster, smarter. And yeah, it does — for some. But it’s also scary as hell. Every “convenience” comes with loopholes predators can exploit, every app that connects us can be twisted into a stalker-ville, and every AI program designed to help people can be used to target them.

We get obsessed with the shiny promise of progress and instantaneous connections, whilst ignoring the dark world it exposes to us. And until we start thinking about harm as seriously as we think about innovation, we’re just building a world where abuse, manipulation, and fear move faster than justice can ever keep up to.

Confronting this problem isn’t just about laws or policing — it’s about communities, parents, educators, and platforms taking responsibility. We have to teach children to navigate digital spaces safely, demand that platforms act quickly on abuse, and insist that governments close gaps that leave people exposed. Progress without protection is meaningless. If we truly want technology to empower rather than exploit, vigilance, accountability, and care must take top priority.

Across the globe, stories like Nelson’s or Ayyub’s are not rare. From cyber harassment campaigns against women activists to AI-generated abuse proliferating across borders, the problem is systemic. Technology has made harm faster, cheaper, and harder to trace — and the consequences aren’t just digital. They are deeply human, affecting lives, safety, and communities in ways our legal and social systems are still struggling to catch up with.

If we don’t confront the dark side of our own creations, the tools meant to help us will hurt us instead. Legendary activist and author Alice Walker once powerfully reminded us: “The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” Progress must never come at the expense of justice and safety.

The glamour of digital advancements can never overshadow the pertinence of justice. And only us — the people — can ensure that.

* Tswelopele Makoe is a gender and social justice activist and editor at Global South Media Network. She is a researcher, columnist, and an Andrew W Mellon scholar at the Desmond Tutu Centre for Religion and Social Justice, UWC.

** The views expressed here do not reflect those of the Sunday Independent, IOL, or Independent Media.

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