Overview

• The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data has launched a criminal investigation into a HKU law student accused of using AI to fabricate explicit images of at least 20 women without consent.
• Chief Executive John Lee announced a review of global AI porn regulations to guide reforms that would criminalise the generation as well as the distribution of intimate deepfakes.
• The University of Hong Kong said the accused student expressed deep remorse, withdrew from a year-long overseas exchange programme, received a warning letter demanding an apology and will face further case review.
• Victims and rights groups have condemned the university’s initial handling as inadequate and are pressing for legal amendments to hold creators of AI-generated intimate content accountable.
• Experts warn non-consensual AI pornography may be widespread without updated laws, describing the HKU scandal as a potential indicator of a much larger problem.