A landmark ban on AI nudification tools has been backed by the European Parliament.
The vote, which took place in Brussels on Thursday as part of the Digital Omnibus package, includes an explicit ban on “nudification” apps – tools that have gained traction for generating intimate deepfake images of individuals without their consent.
The vote amended the Artificial Intelligence Act (AIA), by 569 votes in favour, 45 against, with 23 abstentions.
In late January, the EU Commission opened an investigation into X over whether Grok chatbot had breached rules by disseminating illegal content.
In mid-February, the Data Protection Commission in Ireland opened an investigation into X regarding whether it had breached GDPR rules.
Commenting on the vote, MEP Maria Walsh, member of the European Parliament’s Gender Equality Committee, said: “Today’s vote shows that the EU will not allow artificial intelligence to be used to exploit and humiliate women and girls. ‘Nudification’ apps are not harmless tools; they are a form of digital violence that can have devastating and lifelong consequences for victims.
Walsh has been campaigning for stronger EU action on deepfakes, and has welcomed the result.
“Deepfake technology is being used to create non-consensual intimate images, overwhelmingly targeting women, with little accountability for those responsible.
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“The recent controversy surrounding X’s Grok AI tool, which has been used to generate explicit deepfake images and is now under investigation, shows just how urgent this issue has become.
“We must be clear: consent does not disappear online. The creation and sharing of these images is a violation of a person’s dignity, privacy and safety, and it requires a strong legal response.
“This is about protecting people, particularly young women and girls, from a rapidly growing form of cyberviolence. Today, the European Parliament has shown that it is ready to act.”
Gardaí previously confirmed that they were investigating up to 200 reports of sexual abuse material related to minors that were generated using the Grok chatbot.