Spain seeks to criminalise AI-generated sexual images

AI is causing growing concern around the world because the technology can be used for malicious purposes such as the creation of "deepfakes" -- realistic computer-generated images and video based on a real template.

Around 96 percent of deepfake videos online are non-consensual pornography, and most of them depict women, according to a 2019 study by the Dutch AI company Sensity.

The government wants "deepfakes of a sexual or seriously insulting nature" to be "considered crimes against moral integrity", Justice Minister Felix Bolanos told a news conference after a weekly cabinet meeting.

In a statement, the government said the measure would be part of a bill aimed at "protecting young girls and boys as well as adolescents" from the dangers of "digital technology" and guarantee "their right to privacy".

The move comes as Spain has grappled in recent years with several cases of the distribution of fake nude images of underage girls created using an AI app.

In some cases, the fake nudes were used to try to blackmail the minors depicted after the alleged creators demanded money not to distribute them.

The draft bill would also require smartphone and tablet manufacturers to include free parental control systems in their devices that are activated by default, and force online influencers to use "age verification systems" for their subscribers.