UK: Law for the Proper Use and Governance of Artificial Intelligence

1 . Overview

The British government has introduced a bill to criminalize sharing and producing sexually restricted deepfake images without consent. This move sought to enhance safeguards against AI-generated personal content and combat the rising misuse of deepfake technology.

2. Scope of the law

The intention of the suggested legislation is to criminalize the sharing and creation of sexually inspired content without advance consent. All forms of artificial media, like images, audio files, etc, are included. The intention of the suggested bill is to address the available legislative loopholes, because they exchange intimate information without consent, but not typically AI-generated content.

3. Main Provisions

• Offensive Acts: Sharing or distributing sexually explicit deepfake videos or images without permission is an offence under the bill.
• Consent Requirements: It is required by this bill that someone obtain explicit consent before sharing or producing such content.
• Platform Responsibility: Online platforms hosting any such content will take proactive steps to block and delete, and may face punishment for not doing so.

4. Fines and Enforcement

Offenders can be punished by a term not exceeding two years in prison and unlimited fines. The law will be enforced by law enforcement agencies, with regulatory bodies keeping watch over them.

5. Precedent or landmark cases

In a connected, past case, a British sex offender was banned from utilising AI technology for five years following a conviction for creating more than 1,000 indecent images of children. As not specifically a precedent for the mooted deepfake legislation in relation to content involving adults, this case illustrates the UK justice system’s awareness of AI being abused in the production of hostile images.

6. Comparison to Global standards

In contrast to the EU’s AI Act, which aims to label and provide transparency for AI-created content, the UK’s new law is more rigid in criminalizing the dissemination and production of non-consensual deepfakes. In responding to intimate image abuse, this law makes the UK a frontrunner.

7. Practical Implications

Prior to posting or producing, intimate content creators must obtain explicit consent. Harmful cases will be reported by victims to law enforcement officials, and platforms will be requested to implement effective content moderation strategies to comply with new laws.

8. Future Outlook

The new legislation will be incorporated within the Crime and Policing Bill. When this bill passes into law and is implemented, it will offer more legal recourse against the exploitation of deepfake technology. Continued debate suggests that further legislation could be brought in to address other forms of AI exploitation.