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There are many advertisements circulating across social media apps, including TikTok and Meta promoting AI apps that generate kissing videos. The apps provide users with an option to add images of any two people and they are then able to create a video of them kissing. These apps are being advertised with the tagline that encourages users to ‘kiss anyone they wish’ completely ignoring the most vital aspect of consent.
The concept of ‘AI kissing apps’ raises major social issues. Just like say the “AI nudifier ” apps that produce non consensual deepfake pornography, these programs allow for the creation of highly realistic video content of people performing acts they have not agreed to. The badly simple manner in which these apps create such material only ensures deepfake technology normalization and misuses.
As per Haley McNamara from the National Center for Sexual Exploitation, argues that ads can still be exploitative even may not be overtly sexual. The actions done on the internet, such as pretend kissing or undressing, could also be an act of crossing boundaries, even if it isn’t sought to be sexual. ‘Crossing of boundaries” means that it is done without consent.’”
TikTok has recently showcased more than 2,500 “AI kissing” applications. Most of the ads were on Instagram and Facebook and about 1, 000 are live now. Besides has shown about 1,000 ads to millions of users in European countries, according to its ad library.
Advertisements of this type are usually narrative of celebrities that are pretending to be encountered romantically by the stars in the ads such as Scarlett Johansson, Emma Watson, or Gal Gadot. Moreover, different ads that are specific videos of people kissing that address the issue of AI in the following way “kissing your ex” or “kissing your crush,” are also included. Nevertheless, the authenticity of those who appear in the videos is still questionable.
The growth of AI technology should be noted as it is the vessel through which we find different applications, such as models for AI that created or manipulated images and videos. The advantages of these technologies in generating and sharing creative content, while inspiring, do not overlook but cause for the rising ethical issues like privacy violation, lack of consent, and potential misuse threats.
Meta is also promoting “AI hugging” apps through advertising campaigns. These ads feature AI-generated videos depicting children embracing beloved cartoon characters such as Dora the Explorer and Mickey Mouse. Some advertisements even suggest that these AI-powered applications can enable children to “hug grandparents they never met,” showcasing a young girl embracing an elderly man. Meta has disseminated approximately 1,200 advertisements for AI hugging apps, with over 300 remaining active.
“This trend is normalizing exploitative deepfakes and taking nonconsensual participation in intimate or sexualized images as a joke.”
AI-generated videos of people kissing and hugging are already go around across social media. A video depicting Taylor Swift hugging Kim Jong Un has about 30 million views on Instagram. In late December, a deepfake video of Elon Musk and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni kissing went viral on X.
The companies are believed to be based in the UAE, Italy, and China according to their websites. These apps can be easily downloaded from Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store where they get millions of users over a short period. The “AI kissing” feature is one of AI-based photo editing options in both apps such as, the modification of old photos, the creation of a videos, and the guess of how the babies of the two people will look like in the future.
The spread of AI kissing apps , fueled by social media, is concerning as it normalizes deepfakes. These seemingly harmless apps could lead to the creation of more explicit deepfakes, including deepfake pornography, raising concerns about image-based sexual abuse. This trend trivializes the serious issue of non-consensual intimate or sexualized images, potentially leading to harmful consequences for individuals.
AI-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM) poses a significant and growing threat. In the past two years, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) has received over 7,000 reports of generative AI-related child exploitation material. This includes instances such as a pedophile utilizing Stable Diffusion to create thousands of illegal images of children filmed at Disneyland and high school students generating deepfake nude imagery of their underage classmates, some resulting in criminal charges. Furthermore, Meta has faced challenges in policing advertisements for AI “nudifying” sites, with one such site reportedly receiving 90% of its traffic from Instagram and Facebook.
Meta has struggled to control ads for AI “nudifying” sites, and users find the AI kissing ads disturbing and unethical.
