Thai student arrested for using AI to create explicit celebrity images
Police in Chon Buri Province arrested a 25 year old man for allegedly creating and distributing explicit images of celebrities using artificial intelligence (AI) technology.
The student, Suphanat, has been previously apprehended for similar offences and was found with over 1,000 doctored images.
The arrest on April 5, 2024, by the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) led by Police Major General Athip Pongsiwapai, followed an investigation that stemmed from an earlier case in March. Authorities had detained an individual claiming to be a teacher offering courses on using artificial intelligence for image manipulation.
This teacher facilitated the creation of explicit images of well-known individuals and sold them in a private group in exchange for membership fees.
Continuing their investigation, the police identified a network of the teacher’s students who exhibited similar behaviour. They used AI applications easily accessible via mobile phones to digitally remove clothing from photos of artists, actors, and celebrities, thus creating explicit content. These creations were then posted for sale in a secret group, where members paid for access to the content.
The CCIB team, which included Police Colonel Chisanupong Hwaidi, Police Lieutenant Colonel Phubadee Empranit, and Police Lieutenant Colonel Nawapol Patanibul, conducted a raid on Suphanat’s residence in the area of Khao Kansong, Si Racha District. During the raid, they seized a notebook computer, a mobile phone, and a bankbook.
Upon interrogation, Suphanat confessed to editing the images for financial gain and admitted to posting them to a private group. He disclosed that the altered images stored in a cloud system numbered over a thousand. The evidence collected prompted the police to take Suphanat into custody, transferring him to the investigative officers of the CCIB’s 3rd division for further legal proceedings, reported KhaoSod.
This case highlights the ongoing battle against digital crimes, particularly the misuse of AI for creating and spreading illicit material. It underscores the need for stringent vigilance and law enforcement in the digital realm to protect individuals’ privacy and prevent the exploitation of technology for illegal activities.
