How 4chan users are using AI to ‘dignify’ your thirst traps

It’s no secret that the onslaught of AI images in recent months has created an ethical nightmare of epic proportions. From AI-generated porn to the ongoing struggle against celebrity deepfakes, it’s bad enough that we no longer can tell what’s real or not. Now, we must consider how this technology is being used to manipulate people’s images without their consent. Think: the sort of online misogyny that saw X flooded with non-consensual deepfake pornographic images of Taylor Swift last week. Or the virtual influencers feared to bring about a Thotpocalpyse by alt-right pundits.

In another gross twist, a campaign originating on 4chan called #DignifAI is making waves on X, where men are using AI to edit real photos of women to give them a more trad appearance, even going as far as to remove their tattoos, in a so-called attempt to ‘dignify’ them. The hashtag began last week on 4chan’s /pol/ board when an anon posted a red-pilled manifesto declaring:

With the power of AI
We will clothe the instahots
We will purify them of their tattoos
We will liberate them of their piercings
We will lengthen their skirts.

The same day, an X account called @dignifAI with the tagline ‘Make Dignity Great Again!’ began posting and replying to images of women on the platform with AI-generated results to make their pictures more modest. The post gained over 4,400 retweets and 22,000 likes in a few hours, with users sharing their own posts in a similar strain. The trend is yet another example of the many ways in which men are trying to police women’s bodies, both online and offline. As one user rightfully points out: “Women who dress modestly are getting unclothes with AI, while those who dress immodestly are getting clothed with AI. This paradox reflects the control men seek over women’s attire, regardless of modesty.”

Given how much incel culture thrives on 4chan, the onslaught of reactionary trolls catching onto yet another sexist online trend is far from surprising, which is made worse amid rising radicalisation on mainstream social media like X. As is usually the case with online misogyny – think viral harassment campaigns like 2014’s GamerGate – the hate is misdirected, yes, but indicates growing male anxieties surrounding feminist progress. Not to mention the role of the algorithm in pushing us down ideological rabbit holes to begin with.

But where does this leave AI? Lawmakers are currently trying to introduce bills such as the No AI FRAUD Act to protect people from non-consensual use of their likeness, though it’s unclear whether these laws will protect normal people or just celebrities with big money deals. Then there’s the question of what meets the definition of harm under the act, and how will these laws actually be monitored. Given the recent headlines surrounding deepfake nudes, let’s hope things change sooner rather than later.