Leak exposes 95,000 AI-generated explicit images, including child abuse material

An unsecured database has exposed tens of thousands of AI-generated explicit images, including content depicting minors, highlighting the destructive potential of unregulated image generation technology. The leak from South Korean company GenNomis reveals how these tools can be weaponized to create harmful, non-consensual content targeting real individuals, adding to growing concerns about AI safety and the proliferation of deepfake technology that victimizes women and children.

The big picture: An open database belonging to South Korean AI firm GenNomis leaked over 95,000 records containing explicit AI-generated images, including child sexual abuse material and de-aged celebrities.

• Security researcher Jeremiah Fowler discovered the exposed database, which contained more than 45 GB of data primarily consisting of AI-generated images.
• The leaked content included AI-generated images of celebrities like Ariana Grande, the Kardashians, and Beyoncé that had been manipulated to make them appear as minors.

Why this matters: The leak provides rare insight into how AI image generators are actually being used to create harmful content despite public safeguards.

• This exposed database demonstrates how readily available AI tools can be misused to create deeply harmful and non-consensual sexual imagery of both adults and children.
• The discovery comes amid a proliferation of “deepfake” and “nudify” websites, bots, and apps that have targeted thousands of women and girls with damaging imagery.

Industry context: AI image generation technology has rapidly advanced while safeguards and regulations struggle to keep pace.

• Similar AI misuse has been documented across dozens of platforms specifically designed to create non-consensual intimate imagery.
• Law professor Clare McGlynn, quoted in the article, has emphasized the dangerous implications of unrestricted AI image generation capabilities.

Looking ahead: The incident underscores growing demands for stronger regulation and robust safeguards within AI systems to prevent the creation of harmful and illegal content.