An East Texas man was arrested Friday on suspicion of using artificial intelligence to create deepfake pornography depicting more than 50 individuals, the U.S. Attorney’s Office\u00a0said.<\/p>\n
In the span of about one year, Arturo Hernandez, 20, of Bedias, in Grimes County, allegedly published 113 online albums of pornographic content, each containing AI-generated videos of public figures and private citizens engaging in sexually explicit actions, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. His online content has been viewed close to a million times.<\/p>\n
Hernandez and a New Jersey man, Cornelius Shannon, 51, were charged on Friday with violating the TAKE IT DOWN Act, which prohibits the nonconsensual publication of AI-generated deepfake porn. If convicted, they could face up two years in prison, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.<\/p>\n
ALSO READ: \u00a0 Family of Thy Mitchell releases statement addressing rumor that circulated following murder-suicide<\/a><\/p>\n “The individuals arrested today are being charged for their alleged roles in a scheme to create and distribute vile deepfake pornography using artificial intelligence,” FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Barnacle said in a statement. “The use of this emerging technology to victimize individuals is not innovative\u00a0– it is criminal and will be pursued with the full force of the law.”<\/p>\n According to the criminal complaint, Hernandez allegedly posted AI-generated porn using still images of real people, including entertainment figures, female politicians and private citizens.<\/p>\n In one instance, Hernandez allegedly posted an album of yearbook-style portraits of female students which then morphed into videos of those students naked or in sexual positions. Another album contained an AI-generated video of a private citizen having sexual intercourse with a man while wearing her graduation gown, federal prosecutors said.<\/p>\n Some of the images in\u00a0Hernandez’s albums matched images that private\u00a0individuals whom Hernandez followed on Instagram had posted on social media, federal prosecutors said.<\/p>\n Hernandez will be arraigned in\u00a0the Eastern District of New York, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.<\/p>\n Subscribe<\/p>\n There\u2019s more to Houston with the Chronicle. Subscribe today for just 25\u00a2.<\/a><\/p>\n