Deepfakes, or photos created by artificial intelligence, are creating chaos in the already chaotic war zones of Ukraine, Israel and Gaza. They have been exploding over social media with the intent of arousing the kind of outrage that will only lead to more violence.  

But there are also more intimate kinds of deepfakes: pornographic images or videos, created by AI, which are posted online without the consent of those who appear in them, with the intent to humiliate or blackmail. 

These kinds of images are illegal in New York now that Gov. Kathy Hochul has signed a bill into law sponsored by state Assemblywoman Amy Paulin and Sen. Michelle Hinchey.

According to Paulin, these kinds of deepfakes are “all too common."

“It’s often used to manipulate, particularly women and it’s very, very hurtful and can have lifelong consequences,” Paulin said.