Sheinbaum Calls for Criminalization of AI Sexual Violence

Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum called for criminalizing the use of AI to alter images with sexual content without consent, following an emblematic case involving a student of the Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN), who allegedly altered thousands of images of classmates. This initiative responds to a growing challenge in the regulation of new forms of digital violence.

"It is a new form of violence, which is the use of AI to try to modify images of a woman with sexual content," Sheinbaum stated during a morning press conference, emphasizing the urgency for judges to address this type of aggression. She stressed the need to update legal frameworks to respond to these emerging technologies.

Sheinbaum's statement comes after the case of Diego "N," an IPN student accused of manipulating over 160,000 images and videos through AI, many of which involved his female classmates. He allegedly used images obtained without authorization to generate 'deepfakes' and commercialize them. In October 2023, he was arrested with a device containing such material, including child pornography.

Last week, Diego "N" was acquitted by a judge of two of the eight complaints, which generated outrage among women's groups and human rights organizations. 

"He [the judge] told us that it could be accredited that there was a crime, that the affectation that the victims received was accredited, that the context of vulnerability in which the victims found themselves was accredited, however, he considered that Diego's probable participation could not be accredited," says Valeria Martínez, lawyer for the victims.

In response to the controversy, Sheinbaum instructed the Ministry of Women, headed by Citlalli Hernández, to provide direct support to the victims. She also stressed the need to strengthen legal mechanisms that address digital violence, particularly that facilitated by advanced tools such as AI.

Sheinbaum adds that digital violence is not fully covered by Mexico’s criminal code, making it difficult to prosecute similar cases. This gap has prompted discussion on the urgency of establishing a regulatory framework that criminalizes these behaviors and protects victims.

The classification of these crimes, according to EFE, not only seeks to punish those responsible, but also to discourage the misuse of emerging technologies in acts that violate fundamental rights. This case underscores the importance of adapting legislation to the challenges imposed by digital transformation and the proliferation of advanced technological tools.