Cybersecurity Experts Warn Against the Trend of Turning Images into Anime

Anime is currently in vogue, but not necessarily due to new series or films. Social media platforms have been inundated with images featuring this animated theme, a craze that even led developers to halt the service due to overwhelming demand.

Recently, ChatGPT launched a new image generation tool that has been so successful that OpenAI, the company behind this generative AI, had to disable access to the tool for users on a free plan due to server overload. "Images on ChatGPT are far more popular than we anticipated (and we had quite high expectations). Unfortunately, the launch on the free tier will be delayed for a while," announced Sam Altman, co-founder of OpenAI, on his X account, formerly known as Twitter.

However, cybersecurity experts remind us of the risks associated with using these tools. "We are making the same mistake as with FaceApp," they point out. They highlight that it is not just about providing an image, but "granting access to personal, intimate, or unique photos." On one hand, "we are making it easier for OpenAI to train its algorithm without complications," they comment. On the other hand, private data and photographs are handed over, the destination and access of which are unknown.

In the past year, cybercrimes have increased by nearly 23%, with around 90% of cases being scams. However, the crimes that have grown the most are those related to identity theft.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionised the way crimes are committed. With the advancement of new technologies, methods of deception have evolved, and the digital route has become an increasingly common strategy for fraud.

Once an image is uploaded to the internet, it is no longer under the user's control and can end up in the wrong hands. According to the report "Profile of the Detained for Crimes Related to Child Pornography," in 72% of cases involving convicted sexual offenders, there were everyday images of minors that were not sexualised.

Sharing images can lead to serious risks such as identity theft, cyberbullying, and grooming. Another increasingly common misuse is the creation of deepfakes and manipulated sexual images with generative artificial intelligence, where the image of children is incorporated into pornographic photos or videos.

Before using these tools, experts recommend assessing the risks associated with sending images to third parties. "Images can become public and end up in unwanted hands," they warn.