
The European Union has agreed to ban artificial intelligence systems that create fake nude photos, following global outrage over non-consensual images produced by Elon Musk's chatbot Grok.
"The EU has today drawn a red line. Artificial intelligence should never be used to shame, exploit or endanger people. For the first time, EU legislation specifically prohibits applications used for denigrating situations," said Michael McNamara, an Irish MEP.
The initiative follows the major controversy that has arisen in recent months over a new Grok feature, which allowed users to create fake nude images of adults and children using real photographs as a basis, without the consent of the people appearing in the photos.
A few days ago, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni publicly denounced fake, supposedly intimate photos created with artificial intelligence, describing these deepfakes as an "extremely dangerous tool."
The new ban will now be included in changes to the EU's comprehensive rules on artificial intelligence, adopted in 2024.
AI models have come under close scrutiny in recent weeks in the European bloc, after American artificial intelligence developer Anthropic restricted the release of Mythos, a model the company itself worries could serve as an opportunity for hackers.
Thirty MEPs from different political groups called on Brussels to review its cybersecurity rules in a letter to the EU executive on Monday.