White House urges tech industry to eliminate market for sexually abusive AI deepfakes

President Joe Biden’s administration is taking a stand against the growing market of abusive sexual images created using artificial intelligence technology. The White House is urging tech companies and financial institutions to join forces in shutting down the spread of nonconsensual AI-generated images, particularly explicit images of children.

The use of generative AI tools has made it easy for individuals to create realistic deepfake images of celebrities, children, and other individuals, which can then be shared across various platforms. This has led to a surge in the distribution of harmful and explicit content, especially targeting women and girls.

The administration is calling for voluntary cooperation from companies to implement specific measures that will prevent the creation, spread, and monetization of nonconsensual AI images. This includes restricting payment access to sites that promote abusive imagery and curbing the availability of web services and mobile applications designed for creating or altering sexual images without consent.

While some companies have already committed to safeguarding against the misuse of AI technology, there is a growing need for legislation to provide oversight and accountability in this area. The recent charges brought against a Wisconsin man for using AI to create thousands of AI-generated images of minors engaged in sexual conduct highlight the urgent need for action.

The Biden administration is emphasizing the importance of both voluntary commitments from companies and legislative measures to address the harmful impact of AI-generated abusive imagery. By working together, the private sector and government can take significant steps towards protecting individuals, especially women and children, from the exploitation facilitated by AI technology.