That’s exactly what happened to Australian activist Caitlin Roper, who found AI-generated images of herself burned and hanged — and what made it especially chilling was the small but undeniable detail: the woman in those fake photos was wearing Roper’s real blue floral dress.
The Trolling to Terror
Once the preserve of deepfake porn and celebrity impersonations, AI manipulation is now weaponising for personalised online threats of violence — ushering in an age of digital abuse that’s far more intimate, believable, and impossible to dismiss.
“This is just the next step in AI-driven harassment,” says David Maimon, a computer science professor at Illinois University. “The line between what is fantasy and what is real danger is very blurred right now for a victim.”
“It’s always been part of the playbook,” says Katie Kleeman, director of research at ODIHR, the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. “What’s changing is how it’s happening.”
Prof Hany Farid of UC Berkeley School of Information has a bleak take on this kind of tech evolution:
“We will find exciting ways to use tech — and horrific ways to artificial intelligence abuse.”
Low Cost. High Impact.
AI content generation used to require advanced editing skills and hours of painstaking work, but now anyone can craft fake imagery and videos in minutes. All you need is one photo and some malicious intent.
3 Reasons AI Harassment Is Terrifying
1. They feel real
The psychological impact of deepfake violence cannot be overstated. Written insults can be easily scrolled past, but watching a video of your own face being “killed” triggers the brain’s primal fear response.
2. Personalisation makes it psychological
When the fake includes your voice, your clothes, or the background of your home, the emotional damage cuts far deeper. It’s no longer just online cruelty; it becomes an assault on your identity digital safety.
3. It blurs the line between fantasy and danger
Victims are left in a state of paranoia, wondering if the person behind the video is someone planning to act in the real world — or if this is just another form of digital torture to make them feel unsafe.
