International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women: How is AI reinventing misogyny?

Key Concepts

Femicide: The killing of women or girls, particularly by someone close to them.
Toxic Masculinity: A set of harmful attitudes and behaviors associated with traditional masculine norms, often characterized by aggression, emotional repression, and sexism.
Digital Abuse/Online Violence: Harassment, threats, and other forms of abuse conducted through digital platforms, often amplified by AI.
Misogyny: Dislike of, contempt for, or ingrained prejudice against women.
Gender-Based Violence (GBV): Violence directed against a person because of their gender, or violence that affects persons of a particular gender disproportionately.
Impunity: Exemption from punishment or freedom from the injurious consequences of an action.
Deepfakes: Synthetic media in which a person in an existing image or video is replaced with someone else's likeness.
AI Regulation: The establishment of rules and guidelines for the development and deployment of artificial intelligence.
Critical Digital Literacy: The ability to critically analyze, evaluate, and create digital content.
Broligarchy: A term suggesting the convergence of "bro culture" (often associated with tech) and oligarchy (rule by a small group of people).
Violent Extremism: Actions or beliefs that are characterized by the use of violence to achieve political or ideological goals.

The Intensification of Violence Against Women and Girls: A Digital and Societal Crisis

This debate addresses the alarming rise in violence against women and girls, highlighting the critical role of digital platforms and artificial intelligence (AI) in exacerbating this issue. The discussion emphasizes that violence against women is fundamentally a men's issue and explores the societal and political implications of increasing polarization and the weaponization of technology.

Femicide and the Lack of Progress

The discussion opens with stark statistics from the UN, revealing that every 10 minutes last year, a woman was killed by someone close to her, with approximately 50,000 women and girls killed by intimate partners or family members in 2024. The UN has decried a lack of progress in combating femicide, underscoring the urgency of the situation.

Toxic Masculinity and Shifting Attitudes Among Young Men

James Vina's report introduces the concept of toxic masculinity, which, though originating in the 1980s, is gaining traction among some younger men. These individuals feel oppressed by gender equality progress and are drawn to harsh sexist ideas promoted by reactionary and politicized movements. A report by France's High Council for Equality Between Women and Men indicates a significant polarization:

45% of men under 35 believe it is difficult to be a man in today's society.
This figure shows a 19% increase among 15-24 year olds over the past two years.
13% of 25-34 year olds believe being a man is difficult, while being a woman is easy.
These attitudes translate into behavioral shifts: 53% of men under 35 consider fighting important, and 46% believe it is wrong to show emotions.
The council recommends awareness programs for young people on respect and prevention of sexist and sexual violence.

The "Blind Spot" and the Weaponization of Technology

Panelists explore why men often fail to recognize violence against women as a men's issue. Natasha Henry suggests caution with new statistics, noting that "democratic men, normal men, nice men, intellectual men, clever men, whatever nice people are on the side of the victims." However, she identifies a trend of toxic masculinity fueled by online anonymity, where individuals "think it's fun to just insult and threaten women."

Professor Julie Pizzetti highlights that technology has "weaponized" misogyny, leading to an increase in sexist and misogynistic behaviors, particularly among young men. Research in the UK shows young men becoming more conservative in their attitudes, contrasting with young women's increasing identification with feminism. Influencers like Andrew Tate are cited as contributing to this problem. Pizzetti emphasizes the failure of big tech companies to implement "guard rails" against rampant misogyny, which fuels offline harms.

Diputy Chander, from the NGO Emma, discusses the challenge of promoting inclusion in STEM and technology. She stresses the need for early education to provide technical skills and avoid biases in AI, noting that AI is increasingly integrated into all sectors.

Yan Machalo identifies two key reasons for men's failure to see GBV as a men's issue:

Failure to name perpetrators: The discourse often avoids explicitly stating "male violence against women," downplaying men's role.
Men not seeing themselves as gendered beings: This prevents them from recognizing their responsibility and active role in violence. Machalo also points out that prescriptive gender norms are harmful to both women and men, and connecting to the oppressive patriarchal system is crucial for understanding.

The Escalation from Online to Offline Harm

Julie Pizzetti details her research on women journalists, human rights defenders, and activists targeted by online abuse. Her UNESCO study (2019-2022) found that 73% of women journalists globally experienced online violence, with 20% experiencing offline abuse believed to have originated online. Pizzetti stresses that "online violence is real...It does not stay online." The risk escalates when family members are targeted, a common occurrence. She notes that the situation has "substantially worsened" with the advent of generative AI.

Diputy Chander acknowledges the role of AI in creating pornographic deepfakes, AI girlfriends, and cyber brothels, leading to an "epidemic of online sexual abuse." She believes AI is "truly reinventing misogyny" but remains optimistic about the potential for AI regulation, citing Europe's proactive stance.

Natasha Henry discusses the Jazelle Pelico case in France and the fallout from the #MeToo movement. She highlights impunity as a significant problem in addressing gender-based violence, noting that online provocation makes it "even better for their impunity." However, she offers a practical piece of advice for victims: "keep everything... and go to the police or to a women's association." The Pelico case exemplifies how digital evidence, like messages on Snapchat, can be crucial in prosecution.

The Role of AI and the Need for Regulation

Julie Pizzetti elaborates on the challenges faced by law enforcement and the judiciary in addressing digital violence due to a lack of digital forensics capabilities and awareness. She states that "online violence really aids and abets impunity for crimes against women journalists and women in public life." She recounts a harrowing case of journalist Patricia Devlin in Northern Ireland, who received credible death threats, including a threat of rape against her infant child, with specific address details provided via Facebook Messenger. This led to graffiti with her name and gun sights appearing in Belfast, and she was falsely accused of being associated with organized crime. Another example involves false reports of a Sri Lankan journalist's death. Pizzetti emphasizes that generative AI is "supercharging the risk environment" by enabling perpetrators to create more believable and effective abusive material cheaply and quickly.

Yan Machalo agrees on the global nature of the problem and the need for regulation. He argues that interventions must address existing social norms that violence enforces, such as suppressing women's participation in politics to maintain the status quo. He also highlights that women of color and from the queer community face even harsher abuse, necessitating an intersectional lens and early interventions through education.

Political Polarization and Educating Youth

Yan Machalo discusses the worrying trend of political and social polarization, where younger women tend to be more progressive on issues like immigration and gender, while their male peers become more conservative and support the far-right. He calls for policy makers to invest in education, particularly in "critical digital literacy skills." This includes critically challenging content from influencers who weaponize existing norms and structural inequalities. He points out that issues like unemployment and austerity are falsely blamed on feminism and gender equality by misogynists online. Machalo emphasizes the importance of questioning information sources, narratives, and true causes of challenging experiences. He also notes the existence of good practices for engaging young men in conversations about gender norms, using relevant examples from their daily lives.

Diputy Chander shares her NGO's efforts through workshops to discuss inclusion in technology and the workplace, observing a "mindset shift" through open conversations. She reiterates the importance of regulation for AI content and mentions the existence of watermarking to identify AI-generated content, advocating for education on these tools from a young age. She stresses the need for government support to scale these efforts globally.

Legislative Challenges and Political Will

Julie Pizzetti highlights that presidents, prime ministers, and political actors are among the top perpetrators of gender-based online violence, indicating a "real problem here with a lack of political will." She notes that the rise in authoritarianism, where misogyny is a "central plank," makes regulatory responses more difficult. She criticizes the protection of big tech allies by figures like Donald Trump, who have "rolled back safety and trust teams" and discouraged guard rails for generative AI. Pizzetti expresses concern over OpenAI's plan to incorporate Pornhub content into its large language models, fearing the creation of deepfakes and disinformational content. She struggles to be optimistic due to limited political will and the rollback of progress, but calls for reinforcing protections within EU legislation like GDPR and resisting pressure from the White House.

Natasha Henry echoes these concerns, calling for censorship, more women in tech, increased regulation, and pressure on MPs and governments. She acknowledges the borderless nature of the problem, necessitating regulations that address "invisible borders."

Yan Machalo agrees on the need to bring more men in positions of power onto the gender equality agenda, citing the "lack of political will" as a key obstacle. He recalls a past period with male politicians who committed to gender equality and even declared themselves feminists. He emphasizes the need for role models and allyship at the highest levels of politics, as some men in power are perpetrators. Strategies include community engagement with other male role models and pushing for concrete actions beyond rhetoric. He also stresses the vital role of civil society in motivating change and supporting bottom-up demand for political leaders to act.

Diputy Chander, as a woman of Indian origin in the tech industry, acknowledges the difficulties but emphasizes the importance of role models who represent society. She believes that individuals like herself need to reach high-level positions to drive change and challenge leaders.

Julie Pizzetti identifies Jacinda Ardern, former Prime Minister of New Zealand, as a role model who understands gender-based online violence and extremism. She also notes that French President Macron appears to understand these issues and has made efforts in the EU context. Pizzetti suggests building on Ardern's work connecting digital communities and violent extremism, proposing that "network misogyny needs to be understood as a form of potential violent extremism" and requires a security lens. This approach, she believes, could compel political leaders to act against the crisis of "unworked misogyny" and its significant offline impacts, including the radicalization of young men towards right-wing and fascist ideologies.

Yan Machalo agrees with Pizzetti, arguing that this is a "question of democracy." He states that women's political representation is a key democratic issue, and if online violence leads to women withdrawing from politics, it poses a "democratic concern." He links online misogyny, racism, and the move to the far-right, identifying gender as a "canary in the coal mine" for the decline of democracy. He urges attention to gender-based violence online by framing it as a broader democratic issue.

Conclusion and Call to Action

The debate concludes with a strong emphasis on the interconnectedness of online and offline violence against women and girls. The panelists underscore the urgent need for comprehensive regulation of AI, increased political will, robust educational initiatives focusing on critical digital literacy, and a fundamental shift in societal norms and attitudes towards masculinity. The discussion highlights that addressing gender-based violence is not solely a women's issue but a societal imperative that impacts democracy, security, and the well-being of all. The call to action is clear: to hold the line, support civil society, and demand greater accountability from governments and tech companies to combat this escalating crisis.