Chinese man sentenced for AI-generated pornographic fiction
A man in Hubei province, China was sentenced to 10 months in prison for using AI tools to generate and sell pornographic fiction online for profit between November 2022 and March 2023. The court found he sold approximately 760 pieces of AI-generated obscene content, earning over 22,000 yuan, and ordered full confiscation of proceeds.
What happened
Between November 2022 and March 2023, a man surnamed Ke used a VPN to access overseas websites and employed an AI tool to batch-generate pornographic fiction, which he sold for profit.
Ke sold approximately 760 pieces of AI-generated pornographic fiction for a profit of 22,873.95 yuan.
Reported impact
The Daye City People's Procuratorate prosecuted Ke for manufacturing, distributing and profiting from obscene materials.
Index analysis
The court found Ke's conduct constituted the crime of manufacturing, distributing and profiting from obscene materials, and accepted the procuratorate's charge.
A local prosecutor stated that although AI is a tool, using it to create pornographic fiction is equivalent to using traditional methods to engage in unlawful activity and carries the same legal responsibility.
Governance controls
Ke confessed fully to the facts of his crime, voluntarily accepted guilt and penalty, and refunded all illegal proceeds, allowing for lenient treatment under law.
The court adopted the procuratorate's sentencing recommendation and sentenced Ke to 10 months in prison, a fine of 5,000 yuan, and full confiscation of illegal proceeds.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.