Debate contribution: Artificial Intelligence and Online Violence Against Women and Girls
Debate contribution by Ms Emma Sheerin on .
- MLA
- Ms Emma Sheerin
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 26 January 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Private Members' Business
- Heading
- Artificial Intelligence and Online Violence Against Women and Girls
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5341396
Read the official Assembly record
Text
At the outset, I thank those who tabled today's motion. I commend Cara in particular for the courage that she has shown in speaking so openly about her experience. That has to be admired and respected.
It is vital that we give the matter the urgent attention that it deserves. In recent weeks, we have seen how world leaders across the globe have scrambled to deal with the issue. I sometimes think that it would be nice for us to go back to the time when all we had in our pockets was a Nokia 3410, but, unfortunately, technology is moving very fast, and that means that we have to respond even quicker. Women's reputations being ruined by the notion that they are sexually active is not a new phenomenon. Blaming women is not a new phenomenon. AI is new, but it is exposing a tradition and a culture that are as old as time. What deepfakes prove beyond doubt is that the victims are never to blame. The victims never provoke violence upon themselves. When the AI tools came into being, misogyny was not long kicking in and doing the rest. It is not funny. It is not a bit of craic. It is not a frequently forwarded WhatsApp message that is to be passed on and shrugged off. This is abuse. The fantasy of using someone else's body, portrayed in HD, is as harmful as physical violence. The jokes, the metaphors, the comments and the slurs in video format digitally degrade us. We in the Chamber cannot be behind every locked door. We cannot be inside the keyboard of every troll. However, we can send a clear and united message. We can outlaw such activity. We can track those responsible. We can tell our young girls and boys, "Your bodies are your own. No selfie that you send or outfit that you wear makes it your fault." We must do more. We must protect our young people.
329 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.06 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- Assessed as legitimate policy scrutiny (0.72).
- The text criticises or condemns the framing or division (0.74).
- Subject area: Sexism, misogyny, ageism and other equality groups.
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.26 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.03 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.03 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.03 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.08 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.72 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.06 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing | 0.26 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it (chosen) | 0.74 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Sexism, misogyny, ageism and other equality groups | 0.92 |
| Gender, sexuality, abortion and related social issues | 0.08 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.00 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 14:31 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
Disagree with this assessment?
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