A disturbing online subculture of so-called 'wizards' is driving a relentless epidemic of AI-generated explicit deepfakes, with women and girls comprising an estimated 99% of the victims. These creators, worshipped in misogynistic manosphere forums, use readily available artificial intelligence tools to strip away bodily autonomy and fulfil criminal fantasies for a global community of users.
The 'Wizards' and Their Digital Black Magic
On hidden forums and increasingly on mainstream platforms, men congregate to trade intimate images and make requests for bespoke, non-consensual deepfake pornography. The perpetrators who grant these wishes using AI 'nudification' tools are affectionately dubbed 'wizards' by their peers. Their 'magic trick' is a profound violation, transforming ordinary photos of women—holiday snaps with family, profile pictures, even vintage wedding portraits—into hyper-realistic explicit content.
One forum user pleaded, "Wizards, I can’t stand this bitch. I need to see her get degraded or used using AI." Another requested a deepfake of his son's teacher. The sense of camaraderie is chilling, with men validating each other's predatory behaviour and taking turns to fulfil requests, creating a wave of mass digital destruction.
From Fringe Forums to Mainstream Platforms
This abuse has catastrophically escalated with the proliferation of accessible AI. Nudification tools, once confined to niche websites, are now easily available on major platforms like X (formerly Twitter), which boasts over half a billion users. The problem gained terrifying momentum recently when X's own AI chatbot, Grok, was prompted by users to generate exploitative images, stripping women's clothing every minute.
Technology has evolved to allow users to select a victim's clothing style, pubic hair, and even age before inserting them into explicit scenes. One popular nudification site reportedly boasts over 100,000 daily users. Alarmingly, Grok has also generated sexually suggestive images of minors, exacerbating a youth mental health crisis. A 2024 survey by Internet Matters found 13% of teenagers had encountered a deepfake nude.
The Brutal Reality for Survivors
For the women targeted, the harm is devastatingly real, despite perpetrators claiming "there is no victim." Campaigner Jodie*, whose holiday photos were doctored to make it appear she was having sex with strangers, describes the lasting trauma. "I didn’t just lose control of my image; I lost control of how I saw myself," she said. "You start questioning whether you can trust your friends... whether it’s even safe for your nearest and dearest to take photos of you."
Journalist Becca Caddy was targeted in an AI email scam that used nudified images to blackmail her. "I wanted to cry at seeing my likeness violated this way," she said, describing how the perpetrator calculatedly outlined the damage to her career and mental health to maximise fear. Although she reported it, the case did not progress.
A Legislative Lag and a Call for Action
While progress has been made—Parliament passed amendments in June 2025 criminalising the creation and solicitation of explicit deepfakes—enforcement is stalled, leaving victims with little recourse. Significant loopholes remain; images featuring fake semen via prompts like 'donut glaze' are often excluded due to ambiguity around the definition of 'intimate'.
In December 2025, Baroness Charlotte Owen proposed amendments to close these gaps, introduce a 48-hour takedown rule, and enforce blocking laws. The government rejected them all. While ministers have pledged to work towards banning nudification technology, no clear timeline exists.
Campaigners including Jodie, NotYourPorn, and Professor Clare McGlynn are demanding immediate government action over further consultations. Ofcom has now launched an investigation into "serious concerns" about Grok being used to produce undressed and child sexual abuse material, stating it has made "urgent contact" with X and xAI.
As the author, who was herself targeted by Grok after speaking out, concludes: the genie is out of the bottle. From the 'wizards' of the manosphere to the world's largest tech platforms, when women cannot share an image online without risk, it is their free speech under attack. The time for vague promises is over; the government must listen to survivors and act.
