Author and storyteller Seema Anand has revealed that she was targeted by artificial intelligence-generated fake images after clips from a recent podcast appearance went viral on social media. The 63-year-old, known for her work on relationships, intimacy and sexuality, said the incident left her feeling “physically ill” and deeply damaged.
Seema Anand started trending online after excerpts of her podcast conversation with journalist Shubhankar Mishra, in which she talked about attractiveness, aging and the way society views older women, started circulating. Soon after, the morphed images – including explicit deepfakes – reportedly started appearing online.
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In a video shared on social media, Anand said that even though complaints were made to the police, the emotional toll of seeing doctored images of herself online was difficult to process. “I still feel physically sick when I think about a few of them,” she said, describing the comments and reactions accompanying the images as disturbing.
What further concerned her, Anand explained, was not just the existence of explicit deepfakes, but the way some people dismissed certain altered images as “not so bad”. In the video, she points to examples of her face being allegedly swapped for another body in casual clothing, questioning why such alterations have been normalized.
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“Ask me what’s wrong with that?” she said, before linking the thinking behind such adjustments to victim-blaming and rape. Anand argued that changing women’s clothing without consent and sexualizing it reflected a deeper cultural problem. “This is rape justification. If I wear short clothes of my own free will, I’m judged. If someone digitally undresses them, it’s considered okay,” she said.
A visibly emotional Anand also spoke about her age being used as both a weapon and a defense online. “I’m 63 years old,” she said, questioning the mentality of those who create and consume such content. “I can’t tell you how humiliated I feel. And this problem is only going to get worse until society stops justifying it.”
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Responding to the online backlash, Anand wrote in the caption that while the internet continues to fight over re-edited videos and rage-bait, “the real issues continue,” pointing out how technology is increasingly being misused to harass and silence women.
Seema Anand, based in London, is an author, educator and public speaker who explores intimacy, relationships and sexuality, drawing on ancient Indian texts and oral traditions. She is the author of Art of Seduction and Speak Easy: A Field Guide to Love, Longing and Intimacy and has spoken widely on consent, aging, emotional well-being and sex education.
In recent years, her growing social media presence has helped her reach a wider audience, but also put her at the center of polarizing public debates. While some critics disagree with her views, her supporters say her work opens up long-overdue conversations about consent, desire and sexuality in India.
Her experience once again drew attention to the growing misuse of artificial intelligence, especially deepfake technology, and the urgent need for stronger safeguards and accountability in digital spaces.
