DignifAI: How an AI From 4Chan is Making Sweeps to the Feminist Movement

DignifAI has been making rounds on the internet in the past weeks as users have started putting clothes and removing tattoos on women to "restore their dignity." And many people are having none of it.

What started as another trolling tool from 4chan has become the latest case study on the dangers of AI to women and minorities.

Here's how:

DignifAI: Origins of the Trad Movement

The #DignifAI trend first started on the forum board 4chan on Jan. 31, after one anonymous user on /pol/ suggested using AI to edit pictures of women wearing suggestive clothing to a more conservative outfit.

It did not take long for others to pitch in to "purify" and "liberate" them of tattoos and piercings, anything to make them fit the men's ideal of traditional women.

At first, the edits were contained in the forum board but soon gained traction as other social media platforms took notice.

The trend soon moved to X (formerly Twitter) where several accounts have started replying to accounts, mostly users posting revealing pictures, with AI-edited images of them wearing modest clothes.

Discussions on DignifAI reached its peak after self-proclaimed conservative Jack Poso reposted the edited images, touting the AI as a way to "put clothes back on e-girls and remove tattoos."

How is DignifAI Anti-Feminist?

Isn't putting more clothes on women much better than removing their outfits? The short answer is no.

Many of the edits were done without consent from the people being featured in the AI tool, the same thing that happens with people editing pictures of women naked.

It is worth noting that many of the users posting and reposting the AI-edited images of women are men, mostly conservatives and traditionalists.

A 2020 study has shown how men viewing women's clothing and fashion "as a cue for sexual intent" demeans the person's value to the point that some "deserves to be disrespected."

The same can be applied in the current situation where people are conforming women to the ideal traditional wife. Some people are even adding children to the picture to prove the point.

Calls for AI Regulation on Social Media

Following the AI-generated explicit images of Taylor Swift going viral, more people are now calling for AI regulation on the internet.

Many of the concerns raised were about the risks the technology poses to exploiting children, minorities, and even as a political tool.

Several social media platforms have since started taking more steps to limit the spread of AI as lawmakers still deliberate on the implementation of new rules on the technology.