Rights groups demand global ban on AI nudification
Governments urged to enforce regulation "at the latest within the next two years" to prohibit nudifying technologies.
Over 100 organisations and individuals called for a global ban on nudifying artificial intelligence (AI) tools on Tuesday in a joint statement titled ‘Unifying Voices Worldwide: No to Nudify’.
"Nudifying tools have no place in any society that seeks to protect its children. Our message is clear: this functionality serves no good purpose and should be explicitly and universally illegal. AI must serve as an ally, not a threat, to children. To achieve this mission, we need an immediate, global ban on nudifying tools," the statement said.
The statement was endorsed by 107 organisations, institutions and individual experts, including Internet Watch Foundation, Child Helpline International, Safe Online and Offlimits.
"Technology that enables the creation of nude and abusive imagery is having an insidious impact on children’s lives around the world. Images of children, including survivors of child sexual abuse, are being manipulated into increasingly extreme and abusive forms," it explained.
‘Must act now’
The statement stressed that companies, developers and individuals who create and distribute AI-generated nude images must be held accountable and face legal and criminal consequences.
"This technology is not just a tool, it is a new vector for exploitation, putting women and children — particularly girls — at unprecedented risk. They have no place in any society that values the safety and sanctity of childhood," the statement underscored.
It called on governments and legislators to "urgently" enact and enforce regulation, "at the latest within the next two years", to prohibit nudifying tools and "ensure they are universally inaccessible".
"We are failing children and ourselves if we continue to ignore these risks. We must act now. We must stand together. We must stop AI-facilitated sexual abuse before it spreads further," the statement added.