Deepfake cyberbullying is a modern, particularly harmful form of online harassment that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to create highly realistic but completely fabricated images, videos, or audio of a person — most often to humiliate, embarrass, sexually exploit, or socially isolate the victim. Unlike traditional cyberbullying (mean comments, rumors, or sharing real embarrassing photos), deepfakes create seemingly irrefutable visual "evidence" of events that never happened, making the harm feel more real, permanent, and difficult to disprove. Most Common Forms in Practice The overwhelming majority of reported deepfake cyberbullying cases (especially among teenagers) involve: Non-consensual AI-generated nude or sexually explicit images ("nudify" attacks) — created from innocent photos (e.g., school pictures, social media selfies) Fake videos showing the victim in humiliating, violent, or compromising situations Less commonly: audio deepfakes (fake voice messages) or videos making someone appear to say/do offensive things Here are some illustrative examples of how this kind of abuse is visually represented and discussed in media and educational resources: These images show conceptual representations and real-world reporting styles of deepfake abuse — note that actual explicit deepfakes are never shown publicly for obvious ethical and legal reasons. How Deepfakes Are Created for Harassment (Simplified) Modern tools have made this disturbingly easy — often requiring only a single photo: Here are visual explanations of the typical process: Many free or cheap mobile/web apps can now generate convincing results in minutes, which is why incidents have skyrocketed since late 2023. Why It's So Damaging Realism → People (including friends, family, teachers) often believe it's real at first Permanence & virality → Even after removal, copies keep circulating Severe psychological impact → Victims (especially teenage girls, who are disproportionately targeted) experience shame, anxiety, depression, social isolation, and in extreme cases suicidal thoughts Long-term consequences → Damaged reputation, future relationships, job prospects By late 2025, this has become a recognized crisis in many schools worldwide, with thousands of cases reported (especially AI-generated child sexual abuse material), numerous lawsuits, and new laws being passed in many countries and U.S. states. In short: Deepfake cyberbullying represents one of the darkest real-world applications of accessible generative AI today — turning ordinary photos into weapons of mass humiliation with just a few clicks.