EU nations agree to ban AI applications used to create non-consensual sexualized deepfakes

European Union member states and European Parliament negotiators agreed Thursday to ban artificial intelligence (AI) applications used to create non-consensual sexualized deepfakes.

"Today's agreement on the AI Act significantly supports our companies by ​reducing recurring administrative costs," Marilena Raouna, Greek-administered Cyprus's deputy minister for European ⁠affairs, said in a statement.

“The proposal forms part of the so-called 'Omnibus VII' legislative package in the EU’s simplification agenda. The package includes proposals for two regulations aiming to simplify the EU’s digital legislative framework and the implementation of harmonized rules on AI.”

The statement added that the newly added provision prohibits “AI practices regarding the generation of non-consensual sexual and intimate content or child sexual abuse material.”

The provisional agreement sets new deadlines for delayed high-risk AI rules: Dec. 2, 2027 for stand-alone systems and Aug. 2, 2028 for AI embedded in products, the statement said.

It also requires providers to register exempted systems in the EU high-risk database and restores the strict necessity standard for processing sensitive personal data to detect and correct bias.