84% of teenage girls in Spain fear that AI will use their photos to create fake sexual content

Madrid.- Teenagers have integrated AI into their daily lives, whether for studies or as a confidant in personal matters, although the majority also express reservations, including the use of images to create fake sexual content, according to 84% of them and 76% of them.

These are some of the data revealed by the 'Así somos' report. The state of adolescence in Spain presented this Thursday by the organization Plan International based on more than 3,500 interviews with adolescents between 12 and 21 years old, which aims to be an X-ray of how 10% of the population lives and feels.

10 percent admits their mobile phone addiction

The survey reveals that in general terms, the vast majority of Spanish teenagers are satisfied with their lives (76% of girls and 80% of boys), but they also show concerns and problems: around 10 percent admit to having experienced addiction to mobile phones, social networks, and AI; nearly 8 out of 10 believe that all politicians lie, and 15 percent of them (twice as many as them) admit to mental health problems.

Worry and uncertainty about the future are accentuated between the ages of 17 and 21, especially among girls (50%, compared to 39% of boys), as they feel the problems of their environment, such as education or housing. Although they are aware of gender violence, certain controlling behaviors are still not perceived as such: around half of the boys find it acceptable to want to know where their girlfriend is at all times or to check her cell phone. And as a striking fact, the survey reveals that 72% of them fear that a girl will accuse them of harassment without reason. As for them, 14% state they have experienced sexual harassment or violence - 9% through social media or AI - a percentage that decreases in the case of them, with 6 and 8 percent respectively. Physical appearance is a source of concern, especially for them, as the expectations generated by social media are very high. Thus, more than two out of ten teenagers and young people do not feel comfortable with their image.

Networks and AI in Everyday Life

This generation has integrated AI into their lives, and they view this tool with satisfaction (67 percent of them and 72 percent of the boys). In fact, 62% of the girls and 59% of the boys surveyed have turned to it in the month prior to the survey to resolve doubts about their studies. Only 14 percent say they have not used it in the last month. And it is that, they use it above all for academic issues (61% and 56%) although also to browse and get information (in 43 percent in both cases). Furthermore, 18% of girls and 12% of boys use AI to discuss personal issues, a percentage that rises to 25 percent among young people aged 17 to 21. But they do see the risks, according to Plan International, in addition to the unauthorized creation of fake sexual content, their main concerns are the publication of "fake news" (82% of them and 71% of them) and misuse for mental health diagnoses, something that 78% of them and 70% of them fear. Furthermore, 68% of girls fear developing an AI dependency, seven points more than boys. Social media is almost omnipresent, especially among girls: 45% spend three or more hours a day on social media during the week, a proportion that rises to 57% on weekends. In the case of boys, these values are somewhat lower. In addition, those between 12 and 16 years old tend to spend less time on them. And the digital environment has also become a primary element of their leisure. They identify connecting from home to play online, be on social media or with AI (55%) as their preferred activity. This is followed by activities linked to nature (54%) and artistic and cultural activities (53%). More than half play sports. In their case, they like physical activity (72%), followed by online games, social media, and AI (62%).

Recommendations

This X-ray is presented when two legislative projects affecting minors and AI are being processed. The first of these, which this Wednesday overcame a total amendment in Congress, is the organic bill for the protection of minors in digital environments, and the other, the preliminary draft law for the governance of artificial intelligence. Faced with the survey data, Plan International calls for the regulation of AI and digital platforms, and for the promotion of prevention regarding mental health, addictions, and digital violence among adolescents.