Australia to crack down on abusive AI and ‘nudify’ apps
text_fields
Canberra: The Australian government announced on Tuesday plans to restrict access to abusive technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI) applications capable of generating sexually explicit images.
Anika Wells, Minister for Communications, said the government will work closely with the technology industry to limit the use of undetectable online stalking tools and AI apps that create sexually explicit deepfake content, Xinhua News Agency reported.
“There is a place for AI and legitimate tracking technology in Australia, but there is no place for apps and technologies that are used solely to abuse, humiliate and harm people, especially our children,” Wells said. “This is too important for us not to act. Abusive technologies are widely and easily accessible and are causing real and irreparable damage now.”
Wells noted that the crackdown will complement existing laws prohibiting stalking and the non-consensual distribution of sexually explicit materials.
Under the new regulations, technology companies will be responsible for restricting access to abusive tools, similar to Australia’s ban on social media access for children under 16, which comes into effect in December.
Julie Inman Grant, the federal government’s eSafety Commissioner, highlighted a surge in incidents, stating that the past 18 months saw twice as many reported cases of digitally altered intimate images of minors than in the preceding seven years combined.
Earlier in July, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that Australia will include YouTube in its world-first social media ban for children under 16, after initially granting the platform an exemption. Both Albanese and Wells confirmed at a press conference in Canberra that the government had accepted a recommendation from the eSafety Commissioner to include YouTube in the ban.
YouTube was initially exempted due to its educational and health content, but eSafety Commissioner Grant advised in June that the platform still exposes children to harmful material.
Albanese said the government is ready to “take action” against social media platforms that cause social harm, adding, “We know this is not the only solution and there's more to do. But it will make a difference.”
Wells emphasized that including YouTube in the ban was about “prioritizing parents ahead of platforms.”
With IANS inputs
