Survey finds 1 in 5 male students who create deepfakes use them for sexual gratification, harassment
Published: 18 Jan. 2026, 20:00
Updated: 19 Jan. 2026, 15:17
![A poster warning against crimes involving deepfake sexual exploitation material is displayed at the Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency on Aug. 30, 2024. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/01/19/64fe9bfa-2435-4f01-bea6-37ec7d8ca7aa.jpg)
A poster warning against crimes involving deepfake sexual exploitation material is displayed at the Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency on Aug. 30, 2024. [NEWS1]
One in five male college students who have made deepfakes said they produced the AI-generated images or videos either for sexual gratification or to harass someone, a survey found.
In a survey of 1,500 college students nationwide, 750 men and 750 women, 218 respondents, or 14.5 percent, said they had created deepfake images or videos, according to a report released Sunday by the Korea Women’s Development Institute.
Among male respondents, 131, or 17.5 percent, reported having done so, compared to 87 female respondents, or 11.9 percent.
Asked about their reasons for creating deepfakes, the most common responses were for school assignments, 53.7 percent, and to make funny memes or jokes, 53.7 percent, followed by creating creative works, 48.6 percent, and for pranks among friends, 38.5 percent. Smaller shares cited sexual gratification, 9.6 percent, and to harass someone, 6.4 percent. Multiple answers were allowed for the survey.
Among men, 12.2 percent said they made deepfakes for sexual gratification and 8.4 percent said they did so to harass someone, a combined figure of about one in five. Among women, the figures were 5.7 percent and 3.4 percent, respectively.
Gender gaps also appeared in awareness of deepfake sex crimes. While 72.1 percent of women said they know a lot about deepfake sex crimes, only 52.9 percent of men said the same.
Responses diverged even more when asked how they would feel if a deepfake sex crime occurred on campus. Among women, 31.4 percent said they would feel very anxious and afraid, and 56.3 percent said they would feel anger and shock. Among men, those figures were 9.9 percent and 36.2 percent, respectively, and 42.7 percent said they would be surprised but not directly affected.
![Posters on measures to prevent deepfake crimes are seen pasted in front of the Women's Human Rights Institute of Korea in Jung District, central Seoul, on Nov. 6, 2024. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/01/19/fd61dc71-d4cb-4f2a-ae32-562cca629d5f.jpg)
Posters on measures to prevent deepfake crimes are seen pasted in front of the Women's Human Rights Institute of Korea in Jung District, central Seoul, on Nov. 6, 2024. [YONHAP]
“As of 2024, 96.6 percent of victims of deepfake synthesis and editing were women, and the gendered nature of victimization is feeding into gendered differences in perception,” said the researchers. Men tend to view deepfake sex crimes as unrelated to themselves or to separate them as individual behavior, while women are more likely to see them as a real threat tied to potential victimization.
The researchers also warned that a lack of understanding and empathy among male students could create risks of secondary harm to victims.
In a question about responsibility for producing and distributing sexually explicit deepfakes, 13.6 percent of male respondents pointed to the person who failed to properly manage their photos, and 22.5 percent cited platforms that failed to prevent distribution. Among women, the shares were 4.9 percent and 9.5 percent, respectively.
“These results suggest that among some male students, a tendency to see a victim’s carelessness as the cause of the problem — in other words, victim-blaming — still persists,” said the researchers.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM NAM-YOUNG [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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