by Karen Castellon, FAUSA, American Women’s Club of Berlin
The impacts of artificial intelligence (AI) are disproportionately negative for women and girls—particularly the non-consensual distribution of intimate images (NCII). FAWCO sponsored a parallel event at the Commission on the Status of Women in March 2026 (CSW70as a parallel event of the NGO CSW New York Forum. Four brave women fearlessly spoke of the trauma of being an unwilling participant and offered solutions to combat this modern day scourge.
With a room overflowing its capacity (seating on the floor!), the panel led by FAWCO member Jessica Buchleitner brought into sharp focus a growing and deeply troubling reality: the rapid advancement of AI is outpacing the few safeguards available on social media.
The session was not theoretical. Four women shared lived experiences of having their identities, bodies, and dignity manipulated and distributed without consent. Their stories illustrated how this form of digital violence extends far beyond the screen, affecting mental health, personal safety, careers and relationships. The trauma is real.
A key theme was using your agency to affect change. Each speaker has chosen not to remain a victim but instead to build solutions:
- Founding nonprofits that advocate for stronger legal protections and survivor support: Susanna Gibson’s organization, MyOwn Image, and Noelle Martin’s activism in Australia resulting in new laws against NCII (NoelleMartin.org)
- Launching technology-driven responses such as Alecto AI (Breeze Lui), aimed at detecting and preventing misuse
- Urmila Shrestha of Shakti Samuha supports survivors of human trafficking
The discussion also underscored critical systemic gaps:
- Legal frameworks lag behind technology, leaving victims with limited recourse
- Platforms lack accountability in removing harmful content
- AI tools are widely accessible, making abuse scalable and difficult to control
Yet, what made this event especially powerful was not just the exposure of harm, but the clarity of direction forward. The speakers called for:
- Global standards on AI ethics and consent
- Faster, survivor-centered reporting and takedown mechanisms
- Cross-sector collaboration between tech companies, governments and advocacy groups
In the context of CSW70’s broader mission—advancing gender equality—this conversation reframed AI not just as an innovation issue, but as a human rights issue.
The lasting impression: these women are not only survivors—they are architects of a new response system. Their courage is accelerating a shift from reactive protection to proactive design, ensuring that the future of AI includes safety, dignity, and consent by default—not as an afterthought.