Four individuals have been arrested in Japan for allegedly creating and selling obscene images generated by artificial intelligence. This marks the first crackdown of its kind in the country, according to police sources and local media reports on Tuesday. The suspects, aged between their 20s and 50s, reportedly used free AI software to create highly explicit images of fictitious naked women.
These images were generated using prompts like “legs open” and sold online as posters for several thousand yen each. A Tokyo police spokesperson confirmed that the arrests took place on Monday. The individuals are accused of violating obscenity laws by selling these AI-generated images on auction sites multiple times last October.
If convicted, they could face up to two years in prison, fines up to ¥2.5 million ($17,500), or both. The arrests have highlighted growing global concerns over the misuse of AI technology. Deepfakes, which involve creating highly realistic but fake images, videos, or audio recordings, continue to spark controversy and pose significant ethical and legal challenges.
Japan’s AI-selling porn crackdown
According to a 2019 study by the Dutch AI company Sensity, around 96% of deepfake videos available online are nonconsensual pornography, predominantly depicting women. This incident underscores the urgent need for regulations and safeguards to prevent the malicious use of AI, as technology continues to advance rapidly.
Investigators revealed that the posters had labels such as “AI-Beauty” and were sold for several thousand yen each. One of the suspects, 44-year-old Mizutani Tomohiro, reportedly earned over a year as much as 10 million yen, or about 70,000 dollars. He admitted to the police that he began selling the posters after learning they were highly profitable.
Another suspect, 53-year-old Suganuma Takashi, revealed that he aspired to build a business around selling these posters and taught himself how to create them. All suspects have reportedly admitted to the allegations. The police action comes amid growing concerns over the proliferation of deepfake pornography on the internet, which involves both real and fictitious individuals.
Authorities continue to monitor and crack down on the misuse of AI technologies to address potential abuses and safeguard individuals’ rights.
Source: DevX.com / Digpu NewsTex