‘We’re going to act’: Minns vows to close deepfake loopholes

Following yesterday’s Daily Telegraph report, domestic violence and mental health advocates have called out the “severe” and “traumatic” distress caused by explicit AI images created without consent as Premier Chris Minns flags outlawing the practice.

Domestic violence and mental health advocates have called out the “severe” and “traumatic” distress caused by explicit AI images created without consent as Premier Chris Minns has flagged outlawing the practice.

This comes after The Daily Telegraph revealed on Monday that 16 high-level Federal public servants working in Canberra were unable to get justice after a 23-year-old man created over 100 deepfake nude images using AI.

The 16 women aged between their 20s and 40s, all knew the 23-year-old man, though no charges could be laid as the images were not shared. One of the victims became aware of the images after seeing them on the man’s phone.

Premier Chris Minns said: “The rules aren’t keeping pace with technology at the moment and we’re going to act to keep people safe.” Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images

While the federal government last year introduced new laws banning the sharing of deepfakes, their creation is still legal in most states, including NSW.

Victoria is the only state in Australia where the creation of deepfakes without a person’s consent is a criminal act.

Mental health experts say just the creation of explicit deepfakes can cause “severe emotional distress” and anecdotally seems to disproportionately affect young women and girls.

Adolescent psychologist Dr Michael Carr-Gregg said he had multiple teenage clients whose lives had been up-ended after sexualised deepfakes were created.

“It can create suicidal ideation, severe anxiety disorder which makes it impossible for them to socialise and go to school … it’s so debilitating and traumatic,” he said.

“A lot of schools are very worried about it – deepfake images can create severe emotional distress.”

The increase of explicit deepfake images is not only affecting young and school-aged people. Domestic violence prevention advocates also say they are increasingly witnessing the use of sexualised deepfakes as a means of technology-facilitated abuse.

Full Stop Australia clinical director Tara Hunter said the creation of sexualised AI images without consent is a form of gender-based violence.

“It’s just another tool in which people try to maintain power and control over women,” she said.

How the Daily Telegraph reported the Camberra deepfake scandal yesterday.

“The images can have really long lasting effects because someone has taken away your choice and control and is often trying to shame you.”

Premier Chris Minns on Monday acknowledged the state’s current rules are not “keeping pace with technology” and said the government would look at changing the laws around the creation of deepfakes.

Mr Minns said he would wait to see the recommendations from a current parliamentary inquiry into the impacts of harmful pornography, which also included deepfake and AI-generated pornography.

“We’re looking at it very closely … I’m looking at changes to the law to protect people,” the Premier said.

“We’re in a rapidly changing technological environment. AI means it’s easier than ever to make these kinds of often malicious, often malignant images.

“The rules aren’t keeping pace with technology at the moment and we’re going to act to keep people safe.”

Originally published as ‘We’re going to act’: Minns vows to close deepfake loopholes