The UAE Media Council on Thursday issued a warning against artificial intelligence being used to depict “public figures and national symbols” and spread misinformation and incite extreme views.
The regulator pledged to take strong action against those harnessing advanced technology to mislead the public.
It urged all social media users, media bodies and content creators to abide by the country's laws and uphold their “professional and ethical responsibility” or face fines and other legal penalties.
“The UAE Media Council has affirmed that the use of artificial intelligence technologies or other modern tools to depict national symbols or public figures without prior official approval constitutes a clear legal violation of media content standards,” the council said.
“The council warned that employing artificial intelligence to spread misinformation, incite hate speech, defame others, undermine their dignity and reputation, or attack societal values and principles, is considered a media offence subject to the provisions of the Media Violations Regulation, including fines and administrative penalties.”
The authority has taken significant steps to tighten regulation of the country's booming social media industry to protect the public from fake news and harmful content.
New advertising legislation is set to come into force next month, with the council introducing a permit system.
More than 1,800 advertiser permits to applicants from 75 countries have been issued since they were announced last month.
The permits were introduced to empower content creators and improve the quality of advertisements shared across digital platforms.
The council this month said it had started legal proceedings against a social media account over alleged breaches of national advertising rules.
The advertisement contained unsubstantiated medical and therapeutic claims for a product, while lacking official approval from the relevant health authority, the Media Council said.
The advert is also said to have included misleading information in violation of professional media standards.
Deepfake concerns
The rapid rise of AI has prompted concerns over the irresponsible use of the evolving technology – and highlighted the need for strict governance.
Celebrities around the world have called for action over AI-generated versions of them being used for malicious purposes, including fronting a variety of online scams.
High-profile figures in the US have previously seen their voices mimicked by AI to promote fraudulent schemes.
Hollywood star Scarlett Johansson has highlighted the need for advanced technology's growth to be regulated after telling of her dismay at a ChatGPT voice assistant which sounded “eerily similar to her”.
