In a recent interview with The New York Times, actress Jenna Ortega revealed her horrifying encounter with AI-generated pornographic images of herself on social media when she was a minor. The 21-year-old star, known for her roles in "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" and "Wednesday," spoke candidly about her feelings towards artificial intelligence.

Ortega expressed her disdain for AI, acknowledging its potential for great advancements, but also highlighting the abuse it has suffered at the hands of certain individuals online. Recalling the distressing incident, she vividly described the feeling of seeing explicit and manipulated content of herself as a child, labeling it as terrifying, corrupt, and unequivocally wrong.

The actress further revealed that the issue began when she was just 12 years old, receiving an unsolicited picture of a man's genitals as the first direct message on her Twitter account. From there, the situation only escalated, with an influx of absurd and offensive images bombarding her online presence. Despite being urged to maintain an online presence for the sake of her image, Ortega ultimately made the difficult decision to delete her Twitter account entirely a couple of years ago due to the persistent onslaught of explicit content.

Ortega's concerning experiences shed light on a growing pattern of nonconsensual AI-generated deepfakes. These highly sophisticated apps and programs manipulate and superimpose victims' faces onto explicit content, predominantly targeting women and girls. Research conducted by deepfake analyst Genevieve Oh and advocacy group MyImageMyChoice revealed that more nonconsensual sexually explicit deepfake videos were posted online in 2023 than in all previous years combined.

The report also highlighted that Jenna Ortega is among the top 40 most-targeted celebrity women on a major deepfake website. The actress's ordeal is not isolated, as other young stars like Xochitl Gomez, known for her role in "Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness," have also fallen victim to such deepfakes and struggled to have the content removed.

This alarming trend extends beyond celebrities and into schools, with instances of students using AI to create and circulate fake nude images of their classmates. Some states have taken steps to combat deepfake pornography, but the lack of cohesive legal measures across the country leaves victims and their families concerned and vulnerable.

Jenna Ortega's courage in sharing her story brings attention to the urgent need for stricter regulations and increased protection against the malicious use of AI technology. As society grapples with the dangers posed by AI-generated deepfakes, it is crucial to prioritize the security and well-being of individuals, particularly women and young girls who are disproportionately targeted by these deplorable acts.