The government said it will crack down on sexually-explicit AI-generated content by banning deepfake apps which create nude images.
Deepfakes are images or vision manipulated using a person’s face or body to make it appear they are doing something which never happened, usually a sexual act.
The fresh legislation will restrict access or ban online tools which “nudify” images of people.
Online stalking apps will also be captured in the legislation introduced to parliament.
“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,” said Minister for Communications Anika Wells.
“That’s why the Albanese government will use every lever at our disposal to restrict access to nudification and undetectable online stalking apps and keep Australians safer from the serious harms they cause.
“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 said the onus will be on big tech companies to prevent the availability of these apps once the ban is enshrined.
It is estimated 98 per cent of deepfakes circulating online are pornographic and most victims depicted are women.
eSafety research found three per cent of children reported having a non-consensual fake nude image made of themselves.
Political leaders and child advocates also met today in Canberra to discuss urgent action and AI reform to ensure child protection is front of mind as the technology rapidly evolves.
The roundtable, hosted by the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (ICMEC) Australia, called for baseline AI training for police investigations, a 120-day review of facial recognition capability and a nationwide prevention and awareness campaign on AI-enabled harms.
“We recognise AI as both a sword and a shield in the child protection landscape,” said ICMEC Australia chief executive Colm Gannon.
“AI can help safeguard children faster and reduce workplace harm for investigations by annotating or blurring harmful imagery.
“But Australia needs a clear, funded roadmap to harness the good and shut down the harm.”
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