JAPAN CALLS ON X TO TAKE MEASURES AGAINST AI-GENERATED SEXUALISED IMAGES

TOKYO, Jan 16 (Bernama-Kyodo) -- The Japanese government said Friday it has called on X to take measures against the alteration and sexualising of images using the social media platform's artificial intelligence (AI) tool, Kyodo News reported.

X has recently seen a surge in AI-generated posts of inappropriately altered images of real people.

With tens of millions reportedly using the platform in Japan, the government is also asking the operator to report its plan for dealing with the issue and may issue guidance based on the AI law if no improvement is seen.

"We will expedite discussions while gaining the cooperation of relevant ministries and agencies," said minister for AI strategy Kimi Onoda at a press conference following a Cabinet meeting.

Led by US entrepreneur Elon Musk, X introduced last year its generative AI tool "Grok," which allows users to manipulate images by entering prompts.

Widespread creation of fake sexual images of real people through abuse of the service has prompted investigations into X by several governments around the world. This is the first time Japan's response has been revealed.

The latest request was issued by the Cabinet Office, which oversees AI legislation, as it grew concerned with the ease with which fake content can be created and spread.

Fake images of people may infringe on their rights, such as rights to publicity or reputational rights.

The governments of countries including Britain, Canada and Malaysia have also flagged the issue as problematic.

In response, X has said, "We take action to remove high-priority violative content, including Child Sexual Abuse Material and non-consensual nudity."

Last year, the government also requested improvements from OpenAI's video generator "Sora" over the creation of videos closely resembling Japanese anime.

-- BERNAMA-KYODO