Make it illegal to create AI-generated nudes

I am deeply troubled by the thought that one day someone might use AI technology to create fake nudes of me. This fear is not unfounded, as it’s already happened to countless women who have been victims of this disturbing violation of privacy.

The use of artificial intelligence to generate nude images without consent is an issue that affects everyone, particularly women, who are most often targeted.

This isn’t a distant threat – it’s happening right now. Recent research estimates that four children in every class of 30 have had some experience with AI-generated nude deepfakes, and the most popular website dedicated to non-consensual deepfakes receives around 17 million hits a month.

Teenage girls across the UK are discovering that classmates have used apps to transform their social media photos into explicit images and share them in group chats. Even major platforms like X/Twitter have been found to allow their AI tools to generate non-consensual intimate images.

AI technology has advanced rapidly, giving rise to tools and platforms that can easily manipulate images to create hyper-realistic explicit content in seconds. This not only damages reputations but can also have severe mental health consequences for the individuals involved. It’s a form of digital assault that invades personal dignity and often leaves individuals feeling defenceless.

According to research by Deeptrace, over 95% of deepfakes in 2019 were pornographic and almost exclusively focused on women. An estimated 99% of nude deepfakes feature girls and women, and ‘nudifying’ tools often don’t work on images of boys and men.

The UK law has a critical gap. While sharing deepfake porn is now illegal, creating it is not. This means someone can generate explicit images of you with complete impunity – as long as they don’t share them. But the violation happens the moment these images are created. The creation alone implants fear into women’s lives, knowing that at any moment, someone could be generating these images with no legal consequences.

We need comprehensive legislation that includes:

• Criminalising the creation of non-consensual AI-generated sexual images, not just their distribution, with meaningful prison sentences and unlimited fines
• Banning “nudification” apps and tools designed specifically to create non-consensual intimate imagery
• Requiring AI companies to implement robust safeguards and face penalties when their systems are used for abuse
• Civil remedies for victims, including the right to sue for damages and obtain court orders for content removal
• Mandatory removal systems requiring platforms to detect and delete this content
• Support services for victims who experience this form of digital sexual violence

Some argue this is difficult to enforce or limits innovation. But we already criminalise revenge porn and child sexual abuse imagery – this is simply applying the same principle to AI-generated content. Other jurisdictions, including Texas, the Netherlands, and the Australian state of Victoria, already criminalise the creation of non-consensual deepfakes. The UK government has announced plans to ban nudification tools, but we need to ensure this legislation is comprehensive and includes strong enforcement.

The technology companies can prevent this abuse – the safeguards exist, but what’s missing is the will to enforce them. As AI-specific abuse laws come into force across the UK and EU, companies that allow these tools to operate unchecked will face serious legal consequences. But we cannot wait for tech companies to act voluntarily when they have shown they won’t.

This is about protecting human dignity and bodily autonomy in the digital age. Every person deserves the right to control their own image and not have their likeness sexualised without consent.

By signing this petition, you support comprehensive legislation to criminalise the creation of AI-generated nudes, ban nudification tools, and provide real protections and remedies for victims. Together, we can demand that lawmakers close this dangerous legal loophole before more lives are devastated.

Let us stand together against this modern form of exploitation and ensure that technology serves humanity, not harm.