Six individuals sentenced for using AI to generate explicit content

A court in Yuyao, Zhejiang Province, has sentenced six individuals, including former game developer Zheng, for using AI to generate explicit content for profit. The group, led by Zheng, modified AI models to bypass safety filters, enabling users to generate explicit images and videos. The AI model, launched in January 2025, generated over 370,000 static images and 6,000 dynamic images, with over 9,000 static and 5,000 dynamic images classified as explicit. The court emphasized that while AI models have built-in safety features, the defendants' actions transformed them into tools for illegal content creation. Judge Zhu Zhanglin stated that the defendants used prompt engineering to circumvent ethical and safety protections, making them responsible for the content generated. The court ruled that the developers, despite user requests, are legally considered creators of explicit material. The case aligns with recent guidelines from the Supreme People's Court, which mandates strict punishment for AI-related crimes, including the production and distribution of explicit content.