Fake videos: Italy criminalizes fake AI videos

Italy takes action against fake videos

Fake videos created with artificial intelligence are increasingly circulating online. Italy is one of the first countries to pass a law against them. It carries a five-year prison sentence.

In Italy, the distribution of fake images created using artificial intelligence (AI) can now be punished with up to five years in prison. The parliament in Rome approved a framework law on the use of AI with a clear majority. This includes imprisonment for businesses and private individuals who distribute photos and videos generated using AI without the permission of the people depicted.

There have been numerous such cases in recent months. Most of them involve videos containing pornographic material. The victims were almost always women, including celebrities. Following the Chamber of Deputies, the Senate also approved the law. It voted 77 in favor and 55 against.

According to the government in Rome, Italy is the first country in the EU with a national legal framework that incorporates new European AI guidelines. These include general principles and objectives regarding the use of artificial intelligence. The government has also been tasked with developing regulations governing the use of AI systems.