Woman developing AI that detects dick pics to make Twitter a safer place

Being a woman means living in constant fear of being sent a dick pic. They could come from anywhere at any time. You don't even need to be on a dating app. One day, you're minding your own business, then Bam! A dick pic just slid into your DMs on Twitter. You didn't ask for it. It's just there in full glory.
Now, all womankind has a new hero. Researchers at the University of Washington are working on an AI to detect and delete dick pics.
This is why we need more women in STEM.
It all started when Kelsey Bressler received an unsolicited dick pic on Twitter, and then posted about it. A friend approached Bressler about creating an AI that will detect, then delete dick pics before you get a chance to feel like your eyes need a shower. "When you receive a photo unsolicited, it feels disrespectful and violating," Bressler told the BBC. "It's the virtual equivalent of flashing someone in the street. You're not giving them a chance to consent, you are forcing the image on them, and that is never OK."
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In order to test out the AI, the team set up an inbox on Twitter, then asked men to "send nudes for science." Pretty quickly, they had to shut down the inbox because it got flooded with responses.
The AI successfully has been able to spot 95% of "vanilla penis pictures" submitted to it, although it has been tricked a few times. "There was an entire penis coated in glitter, so it looked metallic," Bressler told Slate. "Someone submitted a picture of their penis in a little penis cage — didn't catch that one. And someone else put their penis in a hot dog bun."
Bumble recently came out with a feature that detects dick pics and other inappropriate photos, but for the most part, tech companies haven't done enough to tackle the penis problem. "Our intent was to make something to prove it can be made," Bressler told Slate. "If it takes two random people coming in and making a solution, then we should ask, 'why aren't companies taking this more seriously?'" Bressler has been told to close her DMs, but it's not an adequate solution. [W]e should not have to shut ourselves off to the world because some people do not know how to behave," Bressler told the BBC.
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Bressler isn't alone when it comes to receiving unwanted anatomical photos. According to You Gov, one in four millennial men have sent a dick pic at some point in their lives, and 24% of those men have sent dick pics without being asked to do so. Over half (53%) of millennial women have received a dick pic. And 78% of those women said the dick pic was unsolicited.
Technology has made it easier for men to assault women. It's about time we have the technology to keep women safe from being flashed.
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."