The council warning, tabled by Labour councillors at Darlington Borough Council, says artificial intelligence is increasingly being used to create false images that harass, intimidate and humiliate people, particularly women and girls.
Councillors said such abuse risks discouraging people from entering public life or standing for election and fuels concerns over online abuse and threats to democracy.
Cross-party councillors broadly welcomed the motion but questioned why the local authority was debating it.
Speaking during a debate at a full council meeting, Conservative group leader Jonathan Dulston said his party did not support the misuse of AI but questioned whether the council should spend time debating an issue he said was already covered by criminal law.
He said: “Nobody in the Conservative group supports the misuse of AI to harass, intimidate or humiliate anyone, whether the victim is a woman, a man, a councillor, or a member of the public.
“Such behaviour is wrong and unacceptable, and those responsible should be dealt with appropriately.”
However, Mr Dulston described the motion as “a nonsensical motion”.
“It achieves nothing tangible, it creates no new powers, no protections, and no new actions,” he added.
The Conservative ward member for Eastbourne argued that residents wanted councillors to focus instead on anti-social behaviour, potholes, declining town centre footfall and support for local businesses.
He added: “Our responsibility is to deliver quality local services and improve the lives of Darlington residents. That is where our focus should be.”
Reform UK councillor Michael Walker also welcomed the motion but claimed Labour had previously failed to take abuse against councillors seriously.
He told councillors: “After a long period in which abuse and intimidation have too often been dismissed, I genuinely welcome Labour now taking these issues seriously.
“I sincerely hope all members will now treat one another with courtesy and dignity.”
Mr Walker alleged Labour councillors had previously shouted insults, including “bigots, transphobes, fascists, Nazis and Witchfinder Generals” at him and Cllr Dulston during a debate on single-sex spaces earlier this year.
“When elected representatives use that kind of language against political opponents, it should come as no surprise if some members of the public conclude that it is acceptable to treat councillors with the same level of hostility and disrespect,” he said.
The motion warned that the rapid growth of artificial intelligence had made it increasingly easy to create convincing but false images of real people.
It said AI-generated images were being used to depict women and girls in degrading, sexualised and otherwise inappropriate ways, while manipulated images could also ridicule or misrepresent people by altering their appearance, body shape, relationships or behaviour.
A Green Party amendment to the motion was not supported.
Councillors approved the original motion, formally condemning the use of AI-generated imagery to degrade, harass or misrepresent individuals, reaffirming the council’s commitment to respectful political debate and supporting initiatives aimed at making local democracy more inclusive.