On Monday 23 February, sixty-one data protection authorities co-signed a joint statement in which they warned against the dissemination of deepfakes online, particularly when they represent real people without their knowledge or consent.
The signatories include the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) and a large number of national authorities from EU member states. “We are especially concerned about potential harms to children and other vulnerable groups, such as cyber-bullying and/or exploitation” they wrote.
In their view, the development of generative AI should be guided by fundamental principles, starting with the protection of personal data, the transparency of systems and upstream consideration of the associated risks.
The data protection authorities “aim to share information on their approaches to addressing these concerns (...) in addressing a global risk”.
This statement comes against a backdrop of controversy surrounding the use of generative AI. Grok, the artificial intelligence used on the X network, is facing investigations in several EU countries following sexual deepfakes generated by users (see EUROPE 13794/9).
For their part, France and Spain are campaigning for the revision of the Regulation on Artificial Intelligence (AI Act) to include a strict ban on “the placing on the market, putting into service or use of an AI system intended to generate, modify or reproduce sexually explicit content or images of nudity” (see EUROPE 13807/6).
Read the declaration: https://aeur.eu/f/kvg (Original version in French by Isalia Stieffatre)