SEOUL, November 12 (AJP) - Nine out of ten South Koreans believe deepfake crimes pose a serious threat to society, a recent survey showed, underscoring escalated alarm over the abuse of artificial intelligence to generate sexually explicit or manipulated content.
Deepfake refers to synthetic media generated using artificial intelligence to alter or replace a person's likeness in photos or videos. The technology is increasingly being abused to produce non-consensual sexual material, often targeting women and public figures by inserting their faces into pornographic videos or images shared online.
A nationwide survey of 1,007 adults conducted by pollster Realmeter on November 4 and 5 found that 90.2 percent of respondents consider deepfake crimes to have a serious impact on society. Among them, 65.2 percent said the threat was "very serious," while 25.0 percent described it as "somewhat serious." Concern was high across all age groups, reaching 95.3 percent among those in their 50s.
The poll results coincide with data from the Ministry of Education showing that deepfake exploitation is spreading rapidly in schools. Between January and October 27 last year, 799 students and 31 teachers were identified as victims of deepfake-related crimes. Reports were more frequent at higher grade levels, but even elementary schools recorded 16 cases.
Of 504 cases reported to the ministry, 417 were referred to police for investigation, while 218 videos were deleted with government assistance. The ministry said it has established a task force to monitor such cases and work closely with investigators.
Deepfake abuse first drew national attention last year, when 45 related school violence cases were reported in Seoul—double the number from the previous year. Since then, incidents have continued to rise as artificial intelligence tools become easier to access and misuse.
The Korea Communications Standards Commission held talks with Telegram in September 2024, one of the platforms frequently used to share manipulated content. Telegram agreed to comply immediately with deletion requests from South Korean authorities.
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
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