People in India are using artificial intelligence to create and spread fake sexual images of Muslim women. The images are used to harass and humiliate them online, causing real harm to a religious group that already faces discrimination, Al Jazeera reports.

This kind of online abuse is not entirely new. Fake sexual images have appeared in other countries too. But what makes India's situation different is that the targeting is deliberate and widespread. Women are being chosen because of their religion. It is part of a larger pattern of online violence against Muslim minorities that has grown as Hindu nationalist politics have become stronger.

The goal is clear: to humiliate and silence these women. Being a woman and a religious minority at the same time makes people especially vulnerable to this kind of attack.

How the Technology Works

AI image-creation tools can now make realistic-looking photographs from just a simple picture. You do not need stolen images or special computer skills. Anyone can use these tools through simple apps on their phone or computer. The fake images look so real that people cannot tell them apart from actual photographs.

Once created, these images spread quickly through messaging apps like WhatsApp and social media. They move faster than anyone can take them down. With so many internet users in India, a fake image can reach millions of people in hours.

This speed and ease is the real problem. The technology has made something harmful very simple to do.

Why Laws Are Not Working

India has laws against non-consensual sexual images online. The problem is that these laws are enforced slowly and unevenly. Finding the people who create and share these images is difficult, especially when they use fake accounts. Police have not made this kind of case a priority, especially when the victims are religious minorities.

Foreign companies that own the AI tools operate outside India, which makes it hard to force them to remove images or hand over evidence. India passed new tech rules in 2021 that require platforms to be more careful, but these rules are not well-enforced against foreign companies.

There is no Indian law that specifically addresses AI fake images. Many countries are still trying to figure out how to regulate this.

Why This Matters

The real damage is not just to individual women. The goal is to scare an entire group of women away from public life and work. When you know your face could be used to create fake sexual images at any time, you think twice about speaking up online, sharing your work, or being visible in public.

That fear—the chilling effect—appears to be exactly what the attackers want. Silencing people through shame is an old tactic. AI has made it easier and faster to do at a much larger scale.

Around the world, governments are trying to catch up with AI regulation. The European Union is working on strict rules. But in India, new AI tools are spreading much faster than new laws are being written. Right now, nonprofits and civil society groups are the main ones documenting these cases and trying to hold people accountable. That is not enough. Real solutions will require new laws and better enforcement.