Two-thirds of those surveyed by Bitkom Research feared that images of their children or loved ones might be manipulated using AI, and around half have of them already encountered such content directly on the Internet.
According to Bitkom Research, the digital industry association Bitkom e.V. commissioned a representative survey to be carried out by telephone and online in order to gather a meaningful picture of public sentiment amongst 1,006 people in Germany aged 16 and over. During calendar weeks 12 to 17 of 2026, the following questions were posed: “There are AI applications that can create sexualised versions of ordinary photos. In such cases, AI is used to depict innocent people, for example, as being fully or partially undressed, in suggestive poses or engaging in sexual acts. Have you heard or read about this?”; “Have you come across anything like this outside of media reports in the last 12 months?” and “Which of the following statements regarding AI applications that fully or partially undress or sexualise uninvolved individuals in photos and videos do you think apply – or do not apply – to you personally?”
Two-thirds of those surveyed feared that images of their children or loved ones might be manipulated, and around half had actually encountered such content online – outside of media reports.
Specialised AI applications transform ordinary photos into sexualised images with just a few clicks
Specialised Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications can generate sexualised images from ordinary photos with just a few clicks – without the knowledge or consent of the people depicted. For the vast majority of people in Germany, this crosses a Red Line:
84 per cent believe that apps which allow uninvolved individuals to be depicted in photos and videos as being fully or partially naked or sexualised should be banned worldwide.
Yet this phenomenon is known to a large majority: 84 per cent have also heard or read about such applications. More than half (53%) say they have come across something like this within the last year, even outside of media coverage. A further six per cent are unsure.
66 per cent fear that images of their children or loved ones could be manipulated using AI
Concerns appear to be particularly high when it comes to children and loved ones: Two-thirds (66%) are afraid that images of their children or other loved ones could be manipulated using such AI.
Concerns about becoming a victim themselves are also widespread: 43 per cent fear that images of themselves could be manipulated using such AI.
However, there is also support for downplaying the significance of such applications: 24 per cent felt that the fuss surrounding such AI applications is exaggerated.
AI striptease apps can cause harm, instil fear and cause trauma
Bitkom’s Chief Executive, Dr Bernhard Rohleder, however, takes an unequivocal stance: “AI striptease apps are no laughing matter for those affected! They cause harm, instil fear and can be traumatic. These apps can also cause significant financial and social harm to those affected, whether at work or, for example, within school classes.”
He demands: “Such nudity-revealing apps should be banned; those who use them must be held to account!” To achieve this – as provided for in the planned “Law against Digital Violence” – there is a need for strictly defined legal boundaries, swift legal proceedings, effective reporting channels and efficient cooperation between the relevant authorities and companies.
“Such content should be removed as quickly as possible and its further dissemination must be curbed!” Rohleder emphasises in conclusion, adding: “Those affected need practical help – ranging from the removal of such content to legal and psychological counselling.”
Key findings from the DS editorial team
- AI is and remains a virtual tool – and just as physical tools can be used as instruments for creating value or misused as weapons, the question is always whose hands such a tool falls into.
- However, just as the misuse of a hammer e.g. to harm a person is to be regarded as a criminal offence, the same applies to the infliction of trauma via an AI app.
- Tools – whether physical or virtual – should, as a matter of principle, only be in the hands of those who know how to use them, and users must act within the bounds of applicable laws; furthermore, they should ideally possess sound ethical principles.
- Not everything that is technically feasible today is necessarily legal or legitimate.
- As the real and virtual worlds become increasingly intertwined, established legal principles must also be consistently applied in the new cyber-physical reality, which is permeated by AI applications.
Conclusion
AI is a powerful tool that can create value but also cause harm when misused. Its use must therefore be guided by the law, ethical principles, and accountability. As AI becomes more integrated into everyday life, existing legal principles must continue to apply.
Further information
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