#Deepfake

A recent case in the United States has cast a harsh spotlight on the growing threat of AI-driven sextortion, after a teenager died by suicide following a blackmail scheme involving an artificially generated nude image. The incident has sent ripples of concern through families and educators around the world, highlighting the urgent need for awareness and stronger protections against rapidly evolving digital exploitation.

The tragedy unfolded when a teenage boy became the victim of a sextortion scam in which cybercriminals used artificial intelligence (AI) to create a fake nude image of him. According to People.com, the perpetrators then threatened to release the falsified photo unless he complied with their demands. Overwhelmed by the pressure and shame, the teen ultimately took his own life—a heart-wrenching outcome of a crime that experts say is on the rise, both in the United States and globally.

A new artificial intelligence (AI) platform named Xanthorox has recently surfaced, igniting intense debate among cybersecurity experts and ethicists. Unlike its predecessors, this AI is designed almost exclusively for cybercriminal activities—and it’s disturbingly accessible to anyone willing to pay a subscription fee. The emergence of Xanthorox marks an alarming shift in the cybercrime landscape, potentially lowering the bar for everyday people to engage in sophisticated digital scams and attacks, according to a recent report in Scientific American.