South Korean arrested for using AI to create sexual images of children

A South Korean man was jailed for using artificial intelligence to generate explicit images of children. 

The unnamed man in his 40s was found to have developed approximately 360 AI-generated, highly explicit images of children, which, it is understood, were not distributed online. Law enforcement subsequently confiscated the images.

This ruling acknowledged that AI-generated imagery can possess a 'high level' of realism, making it indistinguishable from actual children and minors. Prosecutors had argued that the scope of sexually exploitative material encompassed descriptions of sexual activities involving 'virtual humans'.

The first-of-its-kind ruling saw the culprit sentenced to two and a half years in prison.