Artificial intelligence tools capable of generating child sexual abuse material and explicit images of adults without their consent are set to be banned across the European Union.
EU Negotiators Reach Agreement
Negotiators from the European Parliament and the European Council reached a provisional agreement on Thursday to prohibit such AI systems. The ban must be formally adopted before it can enter into law, which is expected to occur before early August.
Scope of the Ban
The prohibition will cover images, video, and audio content. It applies to AI systems placed on the EU market specifically designed to create non-consensual intimate imagery or those lacking reasonable safety measures to prevent such use. Companies have until December 2 to align their systems with the new regulations.
Part of Broader AI Regulation
This measure is part of a wider agreement on AI tools, marking a significant step in combating the industrialisation of non-consensual intimate imagery through artificial intelligence.
Political Reaction
Irish MEP Michael McNamara, co-rapporteur for the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs committee, expressed pride in the achievement. He stated, “We secured a ban on nudification applications, one of our key demands. We fought for it because non-consensual intimate imagery is a systemic harm being industrialised by AI and in which the overwhelming majority of victims are women and girls.”
McNamara emphasised that this will be the first time such a ban is enshrined in EU AI law, declaring, “This deal delivers real protections for EU citizens and I am proud of what we have achieved. The European Parliament had a chance to act for women and children and we took it.”
