The short answer: AI tools can now turn an ordinary photo into a fake nude in seconds, and for a lot of teens, this is already part of everyday life. Research from Common Sense Media found that nearly half of teens have seen sexual content they believe was made by AI, and often the person in the image is someone they know. Yet only one in five teens has talked to a trusted adult about it. That gap between how common this is and how rarely it comes up is exactly where parents can make a difference.
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How common are deepfakes of regular people?
Common enough that you should assume your child has some awareness of it, even if they have never said a word. In a survey of teens aged 13 to 17, Common Sense Media found:
- 44% had seen sexual content they believed was generated by AI.
- Among those teens, nearly one in four said it depicted someone they knew personally, or themselves.
- Roughly one in five teens said they had made this kind of content or knew someone who had.
This is not confined to obscure corners of the internet. It shows up in ordinary feeds and group chats, often without anyone seeking it out, and often shared by someone the teen knows. And while boys were more likely than girls to have made it, the takeaway is not to assume the worst about your own child. It is that this can touch a family from either direction, and it is far more widespread than most parents realize.
Why is it important to talk about deepfakes?
When adults stay quiet, kids fill in the blanks themselves, and they often get it wrong in a damaging way.
Common Sense Media found that only 20% of teens had discussed AI sexual content with a trusted adult, and more than a third wanted to but did not know how to start. That silence shapes what teens come to believe. Nearly a quarter of those who had seen this content said fake nudes are less harmful than real pornography, on the logic that no one actually gets hurt.
That belief is wrong, and correcting it is the most important reason to have this conversation. The image may be fabricated, but the harm is not:
- It can cause or worsen depression, anxiety and deep shame.
- Unlike a rumour, an image can look like proof, even when nothing it shows ever happened.
- It follows a teen offline, and can last far longer than the seconds it took to create.
There is an encouraging finding underneath all this. Among teens who had encountered this content, 82% said making a sexual deepfake of someone without permission should be illegal. The instinct is there. What is often missing is an adult who helps turn it into real understanding.
How do you start the conversation?
Leading with a loaded word like pornography, or even bullying, tends to make a teen shut down before you have begun. A few approaches that work better:
- Come in through the side door: Instead of asking whether your child has made or seen a fake nude, ask what they have heard about kids using AI to make fake images of people. It invites them to describe the landscape without feeling accused.
- Follow the consequences, don't lecture: If they push back with "but it isn't real," resist the speech. Ask what happens after someone saves that image, where it goes next, how it would feel if the face were theirs. Let them arrive at the harm themselves.
- Keep it going: This works best as an ongoing conversation, not a single talk. The more normal the topic feels, the more likely they are to come to you when it matters.
How do you make it safe for them to come to you?
Make it clear before anything ever goes wrong that your help does not depend on their perfect behavior.
Fear of blame or losing a phone is one of the biggest reasons teens stay silent when something happens. A child needs to know that you will help them through a crisis even if they broke a rule to get into it. That reassurance is worth saying out loud, and worth repeating.
It also helps to be honest about the stakes without turning the conversation into a threat. Kids should understand that creating or sharing sexual deepfakes of a minor can be illegal and carry serious consequences. Framed as information rather than an accusation, that is something they genuinely need to know, both to protect themselves and to understand why it matters.
What if it has already happened to your child?
Act quickly, calmly, and let your child see that you are on their side.
If your child is targeted, start by using the reporting process on the app or website where the image appeared. In the United States, the Take It Down Act requires covered platforms to remove qualifying images within 48 hours of a valid request. In Canada, you can report non-consensual intimate images through the platform directly and through resources such as Cybertip.ca and NeedHelpNow.ca, which support young people dealing with the spread of these images.
Throughout, the most important thing you can offer is steadiness. Your child did not choose this, and the priority is helping them feel safe and supported rather than interrogated about how it happened.
The bigger picture
Families cannot solve this alone, and they should not have to. The tools that generate this content, and the platforms where it spreads, bear real responsibility, and there is growing pressure on app stores and platforms to remove these tools and detect this material proactively rather than leaving the cleanup to the teen in the image.
Until that shifts, the conversation at home remains one of the most powerful forms of protection available. This is the standard we try to build toward at Kinzoo, where the aim is technology designed around children's wellbeing from the start. But no product replaces a parent who has made it clear, early and often, that their door is open. That conversation is something only you can offer, and it matters more than any setting or control.
Frequently asked questions
What are nudify or undressing apps?
They are AI tools that take an ordinary photo of a person and generate a fake nude or sexualized image of them, usually in seconds and with little technical skill required. Common Sense Media found that teens are accessing these tools and that the resulting images often involve people they know. Often, “face-swapping” apps readily available in the App Store and Play Store can be used to nudify an image.
How common is AI-generated sexual content among teens?
In Common Sense Media's survey of teens aged 13 to 17, 44 percent said they had seen it, and roughly one in five said they had made it or knew someone who had. The authors of the report say that this figure might be understated as well.
At what age should I talk to my kids about deepfakes?
There is no single right age, but because this content circulates in ordinary group chats and feeds, it is worth starting earlier than many parents expect, ideally before a child has a phone of their own. Keep the language age-appropriate and treat it as an ongoing conversation rather than a single talk.
Is making a deepfake nude of a minor illegal?
It can carry serious criminal consequences, and it is worth making that clear to your children. Laws vary by jurisdiction, so check the rules where you live.
What should I do if my child is targeted?
Use the reporting process on the app or website where the image appeared. In the US, the Take It Down Act requires covered platforms to remove qualifying images within 48 hours of a valid request; in Canada, resources such as Cybertip.ca can help. Above all, reassure your child that you are there to help, even if they feel they broke a rule.
Sources: Common Sense Media, "Teens and Explicit Deepfakes in the Age of AI," Youth AI Safety Institute, 2026; Common Sense Media, "Teens told us they're not just seeing AI nudes — they're making them," 2026.
Image credit: Arkadiusz Warguła / Getty Images
