The British government has decided to create a new rule to stop the creation of sexual deepfakes. This rule will make it illegal to create these deepfakes, even if they are not intended to be shared. The law will focus on adults, as there are already laws protecting children from these situations. The British government has stated that creating sexual deepfakes without permission will be a crime. The new law will be implemented in Wales and England.

A deepfake is an image or video made using artificial intelligence to combine one person's face with another's face. Most deepfakes contain sexual content. With advancements in AI, it will soon be possible to create a video of someone by only giving the AI a picture and a few prompts.

A recent Microsoft study showed the capabilities of the AI model they are working on, making it clear how AI makes things easier for deepfake creators. Creating sexual deepfakes will be seriously punished.

The Ministry of Justice has stated that the new law will apply regardless of whether the image was meant to be shared. If the law is breached by sharing, there will be serious consequences, including prison time.

Women are often targeted for deepfake creation, especially using their faces to make pornographic material. Celebrities and public figures also fall victim to these crimes, as deepfakes have become more common. According to Yvette Cooper, the creation of such material violates privacy laws and should not be allowed by the government. She stated,

“Technology is making it easier to make offensive content that encourages violence against women and girls. It's important for law enforcement to be trained to enforce the laws to prevent crimes.”

Experts say that finding culprits for creating deepfakes is difficult due to the nature of technology, leading many to get away with their crimes despite the laws being in place.

A law passed last year made sharing deepfakes illegal, but the new rule will stop the creation of these deepfakes from the beginning. The law will protect individuals from being distressed, humiliated, or scared due to these misleading images.

Some experts doubt that the law will hold up, as it will be hard to prove someone created false images. The burden of proof falls on the accuser, making it challenging to enforce the law. Despite these challenges, the new law sends a message that creating and sharing such material is wrong, especially when it violates privacy and targets individuals.