AI Image and Video Generators: What to Know First

AI image and video generators are fun and useful tools, but using them comes with real UK legal boundaries around consent that many people do not know about. Creating a sexual or intimate image of a real person without their consent is a criminal offence in the UK, even if you never share it.

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CE: All⏱ 5 min read

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A recent change worth knowing about

AI can now generate remarkably convincing images and video from a text description. Millions of people use these tools for genuinely creative purposes, but a small number of serious legal boundaries apply, and they have tightened recently. People sometimes treat AI-generated images as a private, victimless activity if nothing is ever shared publicly. UK law changed this: since 6 February 2026, creating an AI-generated intimate image of a real person without their consent is a criminal offence under the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, even if it is never produced or shared. Requesting it is enough.

The legal line you should not cross

Never create or request an AI-generated intimate or sexual image of a real person without their explicit consent: this is a criminal offence in the UK
This covers digitally altered images too, not only fully AI-generated ones
The offence applies even if the image is never produced, shared, or seen by anyone else: requesting it is enough

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Other things worth knowing

Copyright: AI-generated images can raise unresolved copyright questions, particularly around images that closely imitate a specific living artist’s style or existing copyrighted work
Using someone’s likeness, even a harmless one, may raise data protection and consent issues, particularly for commercial use
Some platforms watermark or label AI-generated content: removing or hiding this labelling can itself breach platform terms

3 steps

Safe habits for using AI generators

Only generate images of real people with their clear consent
Check a platform’s terms before using generated images commercially
Be transparent when sharing AI-generated content: label it as AI-generated where it could otherwise mislead

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Frequently asked questions

Is it illegal to create any AI image of a real person?

No, only intimate or sexual images without consent are specifically criminalised. Other uses can still raise copyright or data protection concerns, but are not automatically criminal.

What if I create the image but never share it?

The offence applies to creating or requesting the image. Sharing it is not required for an offence to have occurred.

Can I use AI-generated images for my business?

Usually yes, but check the specific platform’s licence terms, some restrict commercial use or require attribution.

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