Mostly Human Media

Non-consensual deepfake pornography is on the rise. While celebrities were often the earliest targets, these AI-generated deepfakes are now spreading across communities and schools, and the law and tech platforms are struggling to catch up. Kara speaks with victims’ rights attorney Carrie Goldberg, tech journalist and Mostly Human Media CEO Laurie Segall and computer scientist V.S. Subrahmanian about how AI-generated explicit images are created, monetized and distributed. Segall details her investigation into Mr. Deepfakes, one of the internet's most notorious deepfake porn platforms. Goldberg explains her lawsuit against xAI over Grok-generated explicit images. And Subrahmanian breaks down the evolution of deepfake technology and why detection remains so difficult. Plus: why victims often have little recourse, what parents and schools can do and whether new laws like the Take It Down Act can make a difference. Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher. Come see Kara live in DC. She is sitting down with Former Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo on July 16 at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center, and you can be in the room. ⁠Register now⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Carrie Goldberg

Lawyer

C.A. Goldberg Law

Laurie Segall

CEO

Mostly Human Media

V.S. Subrahmanian

Computer Scientist

Note: This episode contains mentions of suicide.   This week, how Elon Musk became a main character in this year’s election, and what that means for the future of tech and of the country. Plus, the journalist Laurie Segall joins us to discuss the tragic case of a teenager who became obsessed with an A.I. companion bot and later died by suicide. We discuss what A.I. companies could do to make their apps safer for children.   If you are having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for a list of additional resources.   Guest: Laurie Segall, chief executive of Mostly Human Media   Additional Reading: Elon Musk’s Big Business and Conflicts of Interest With the U.S. Government Can a Chatbot Named Daenerys Targaryen Be Blamed for a Teen’s Suicide? Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Laurie Segall

CEO

Mostly Human Media