Spain to criminalise AI-generated sexual images
Spain's leftist government unveiled a draft bill Tuesday that would criminalise the use of artificial intelligence to generate sexually explicit video images of a person's face or body without their consent.
AI is causing growing concern around the world because the technology can be used for malicious purposes such as the creation of "deepfakes" -- realistic computer-generated images and video based on a real template.
Around 96 percent of deepfake videos online are non-consensual pornography, and most of them depict women, according to a 2019 study by the Dutch AI company Sensity.
The government wants "deepfakes of a sexual or seriously insulting nature" to be "considered crimes against moral integrity", Justice Minister Félix Bolaños told a news conference after a weekly cabinet meeting.
In a statement, the government said the measure would be part of a bill aimed at "protecting young girls and boys as well as adolescents" from the dangers of "digital technology" and guarantee "their right to privacy".
The move comes as Spain has grappled in recent years with several cases of the distribution of fake nude images of underage girls created using an AI app.
The draft bill would also require smartphone and tablet manufacturers to include free parental control systems in their devices that are activated by default, and force online influencers to use "age verification systems" for their subscribers.
Barcelona's Sagrada Familia narrows down search for artist to design façade
Celebrated Spanish artist Miquel Barceló, his compatriot Cristina Iglesias and Mexican Javier Marin have been shortlisted to design the main façade of Barcelona's iconic Sagrada Familia basilica, the body overseeing its construction said on Tuesday.
The construction board said in a statement it had requested proposals from them to design the Façade of Glory on the church, which remains unfinished despite having been started in 1882 by famed architect Antoni Gaudí.
The church says the design will represent a Christian narrative of human history from Adam and Eve to the final judgement as well as teachings from the life of Jesus.
Work to complete Gaudi's masterpiece in Spain's second city has accelerated in recent years with its rise as a mass tourist destination.
Its completion is now expected within the next 10 years.
Doñana National Park reborn due to abundant rain
Doñana National Park in the southern Spanish region of Andalusia is one of Europe's most important ecosystems, sheltering a huge variety of flora and fauna, from flamingos and herons to deer, wild boar and the Iberian lynx.
The impact of climate change and drought has been felt in recent years, but satellite imagery has revealed that the abundant rain that’s fallen in Spain in March has flooded its marshes and revived its ecosystem, offering an opportunity for the return of some of its amphibian species.
EU plans digital driving licence for all Member States and to allow underage drivers on the road
An agreement between the European Parliament, the Council, and the Commission has paved the way for a single digital driving license by 2030, valid in all Member States, although a physical license will also be available.
One of the other standout proposals is that 17 year olds will be able to get their licence and drive if accompanied by an experienced adult driver. Brussels will also allow states to extend this option to all types of vehicles, including vans and trucks, as a means to to alleviate the shortage of transport drivers on the continent.
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