In this illustrated photo, a man is typing on an illuminated computer keyboard commonly used by computer programmers. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
(NewsNation) — A British man convicted of creating more than 1,000 “indecent images” of children will be banned from using any AI-generating tools for the next five years without police permission, according to local media reports. It is said that it was done.
The Guardian called it one of the “first known incidents of its kind”.
As well as not being allowed to use artificial intelligence tools, Anthony Dover, 48, was also given a community order and a £200 fine, the publication said.
Under the ban, Dover is prohibited from using generators that generate images from text, and from using “nude” websites used to create explicit “deepfakes,” according to the Guardian. . He also cannot use the “Stable Diffusion” software that news outlets have reported has been used by pedophiles to create hyper-realistic child sexual abuse material.
It is unclear whether Dover himself used artificial intelligence to create the image.
“Where we believe there is an ongoing risk to the safety of children, we will ask the court to impose conditions, including banning the use of certain technologies,” a Crown Prosecution Service spokesperson told the Guardian. said in a statement.
New UK law on deepfakes
This comes after the UK government announced it was aiming to criminalize the creation of sexually explicit “deepfake” images of people aged 18 and over. (When it comes to children, creating and sharing these images is already illegal.)
Under the new law, those who create these “horrific images without consent” could face criminal records and “unlimited fines,” the news release said. If the images are shared, the offenders could be sent to prison, the release added.
“The creation of deepfake sexual images is vile and completely unacceptable, whether or not the images are shared. This is yet another example of this,” Laura Farris, the UK’s victims and protection minister, said in a statement. “And if that material is shared more widely, it could have devastating consequences. This government will not tolerate that. This new crime is that making this material is immoral and It sends a clear message that it is often misogynistic and criminal.”
The new offense will be introduced in England and Wales through amendments to the Criminal Justice Bill, which are currently being debated in Parliament. Meanwhile, the devolved governments of Scotland and Northern Ireland will be responsible for passing legislation in their own countries, CNN writes. A spokesperson for Northern Ireland's Ministry of Justice told the press: “We are currently considering the options available to us in Northern Ireland.” The Scottish Ministry of Justice did not respond to CNN's request for comment.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.