An Australian teenager has pleaded guilty to creating deepfake pornography, in a landmark case. William Hamish Yeates, 19, is the first person to be charged under a new national law which criminalises the manipulation of sexual images and carries a maximum penalty of seven years in prison.
Experts say deepfake pornography - often created through artificial intelligence technology, and overwhelmingly targeting women and girls - is the new frontier of gendered, image-based abuse and school bullying.
Yeates did not comment as he left court after admitting four offences on Wednesday. He will return for a hearing in April.
Previously facing 20 Commonwealth charges, some were withdrawn after he admitted to creating or altering sexual material without consent, distributing it, and using a carriage service in a harassing manner. It was noted in court that he distributed images of his alleged victim across multiple social media accounts without her consent.
This case marks a first in Australian law, although various states have their own legislation concerning deepfake material. The eSafety Commission in Australia has been raising awareness about the increasing threat of AI-manipulated content, with an alarming rise in explicit deepfake material observed, reportedly up to 550% since 2019. It is estimated that 98% of deepfake content online is of a pornographic nature, with nearly all of it involving women and girls.
Experts say deepfake pornography - often created through artificial intelligence technology, and overwhelmingly targeting women and girls - is the new frontier of gendered, image-based abuse and school bullying.
Yeates did not comment as he left court after admitting four offences on Wednesday. He will return for a hearing in April.
Previously facing 20 Commonwealth charges, some were withdrawn after he admitted to creating or altering sexual material without consent, distributing it, and using a carriage service in a harassing manner. It was noted in court that he distributed images of his alleged victim across multiple social media accounts without her consent.
This case marks a first in Australian law, although various states have their own legislation concerning deepfake material. The eSafety Commission in Australia has been raising awareness about the increasing threat of AI-manipulated content, with an alarming rise in explicit deepfake material observed, reportedly up to 550% since 2019. It is estimated that 98% of deepfake content online is of a pornographic nature, with nearly all of it involving women and girls.
