AI-powered deepfake nude websites are targeted by San Francisco city attorney's lawsuit

David Chiu announced Thursday that his office is suing the operators of 16 A.I.-powered "undressing" websites that help users create and distribute deepfake nude photos of women and girls. The lawsuit, which city officials said was the first of its kind, accuses the websites' operators of violating state and federal laws that ban deepfake pornography, revenge pornography and child pornography, as well as California's unfair competition law. The names of the sites were redacted in the copy of the suit made public Thursday. Chiu's office has yet to identify the owners of many of the websites, but officials say they hope to find their names and hold them accountable. Chiu said the lawsuit has two goals: shutting down these websites and sounding the alarm about this form of "sexual abuse."