Artificial intelligence is being weaponised to generate sexualised imagery and propaganda targeting Muslim women in India, representing a dangerous shift in online harassment.
According to Al Jazeera’s reporting, Experts warn that generative AI now allows hostile narratives to be converted into highly realistic visual material with minimal technical expertise.
The human cost of digital stalking
Samreen Ayoub, a 24-year-old freelance model from India-administered Kashmir, discovered the impact of this technology when a fabricated video circulated on Instagram.
The clip, designed to resemble a television news segment with a narrator and scrolling captions, stitched together photographs from her time as a student at Jamia Millia Islamia University.
The AI-generated voiceover falsely claimed Ayoub was “selling her body” and misidentified her own brother as her “pimp”.
Ayoub noted that the video appeared so authentic that even her own parents could have been deceived.
Following the video’s release, Ayoub faced a “digital lynching” of abusive comments and threats.
This harassment also had professional consequences; brands stopped approaching her for work due to the influx of negative comments on her profile.
Scale of sexualised propaganda
The scale of this issue is documented in a study by the Washington, DC-based Center for the Study of Organized Hate (CSOH). Between May 2023 and May 2025, researchers analysed 1,326 AI-generated items across platforms like X and Instagram.
The study found that sexualised depictions of Muslim women generated the highest engagement, exceeding 6.7 million interactions.
Zenith Khan, a digital research analyst and co-author of the study, stated that generative AI has enabled the transformation of sexual fantasy into imagery at high speed and no cost.
Researchers observed recurring patterns in this content, often pairing a “Muslim-coded woman” with a “Hindu-coded man”.
Dr Sahana Udupa, a media anthropologist at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, described this as part of a “pornification of politics” where digital cultures use sexualised imagery to normalise abuse against minority communities.
A growing trend of harassment
The Mumbai-based RATI Foundation’s helpline, Meri Trustline, has also documented a rise in such cases.
Since its inception in 2022, the helpline has handled more than 482 cases, with roughly 10 per cent involving digitally manipulated material.
Salman Mujawar, a front-line counsellor, noted that these violations are often muted by shame and trauma, and are rarely revealed to family members.
This digital persecution follows the “Sulli Deals” and “Bulli Bai” controversies of 2021 and 2022, where Muslim women were listed on mock-auction platforms.
While individuals like Aumkareshwar Thakur and Niraj Bishnoi were arrested for creating these platforms, both were granted bail on “humanitarian grounds” after two months.
Atif Rasheed, a politician with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has called for stronger regulations against deepfakes but rejects viewing the issue through a religious lens, asserting that his party respects women of all faiths.
Atmosphere of fear
For victims like Afreen Fatima, a researcher and activist, the emergence of AI-generated imagery has intensified a “fear psychosis”.
Fatima, who was previously targeted in the “Sulli Deals” incident, said the online fantasies have shaped how she navigates public spaces, making her feel uncomfortable travelling alone.
Legal experts suggest that India’s existing frameworks are insufficient.
Apar Gupta, a lawyer and founding director of the Internet Freedom Foundation, explained that Section 66E of the Information Technology Act – which covers publishing images of private areas without consent – may not apply to images that are entirely AI-generated where a person’s body was never actually recorded.
Gupta warned that without structural changes to platform design and legal frameworks, AI-generated abuse will continue to spread faster than the legal system can respond.
For targets like Ayoub, the damage remains profound. “They destroyed my reputation without even knowing me,” she said.
