Finance
Germany plans measures to combat harmful AI image manipulation
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on January 9, 2026
2 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Global Banking & Finance Review®
Company
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on January 9, 2026
2 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Germany plans new laws to combat AI image manipulation, focusing on personal rights protection and addressing digital violence.
BERLIN, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Germany's justice ministry plans to present measures in the near future that would allow authorities to more effectively combat the use of artificial intelligence to manipulate images in ways that violate personal rights, a spokesperson said on Friday.
Grok, the built-in AI chatbot on billionaire Elon Musk's social media site X, has come under investigation in Europe for its so-called "spicy mode", which allows users to generate sexually explicit images.
A Reuters investigation found the chatbot's image generation was being used to create images of women and children in minimal clothing, often without the consent of the individuals depicted.
Germany's media minister urged the European Commission earlier this week to take legal action to stop what he called the "industrialisation of sexual harassment" on X.
Responding to a question about the controversy at a regularly held government press conference, justice ministry spokesperson Anna-Lena Beckfeld indicated that Germany was preparing to take on the issue in its domestic courts.
"It is unacceptable that manipulation on a large scale is being used for systematic violations of personal rights," she said. "We, therefore, want to ensure that criminal law can be used more effectively to combat this."
The ministry is working to better regulate deepfakes and plans a law against digital violence to support its victims, she told journalists.
"We want to make it easier for them to take direct action against violations of their rights on the internet," Beckfeld said.
The ministry plans to present concrete proposals in the near future, she said, adding that she could not comment in detail on the plans at this point.
After initially dismissing concerns over Grok's image generation, xAI has now restricted the function to paid subscribers. Musk said last week that anyone using the chatbot to create illegal content would face the same consequences as uploading such material directly.
(Reporting by Andreas Rinke and Miranda Murray; Editing by Joe Bavier)
Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines programmed to think and learn like humans. It encompasses various technologies, including machine learning and natural language processing.
Deepfakes are synthetic media in which a person’s likeness is replaced with someone else’s. They use AI technology to create realistic-looking videos or images, often for malicious purposes.
Digital violence refers to harmful acts conducted through digital platforms, including harassment, cyberbullying, and the unauthorized manipulation of images or videos that violate personal rights.
Personal rights are legal rights that protect individuals' privacy and personal integrity. They include the right to control one's own image and to be free from unauthorized exploitation.
Compliance in finance refers to the process of adhering to laws, regulations, and guidelines governing financial practices. It ensures that financial institutions operate within legal frameworks.
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