"My Nude Photo Was Published in the Newspaper"... Why a Female Lawmaker Revealed It in Parliament

"It Takes Less Than Five Minutes to Create Deepfakes"
"Urgent Need for Legal Safeguards"

A member of the New Zealand Parliament has drawn attention by revealing nude photos of herself during a parliamentary session. The images were fake, generated by artificial intelligence (AI), and her actions appear to have been intended to highlight the dangers and seriousness of deepfake crimes.

According to local media such as the New Zealand Herald on June 4 (local time), Laura McClure, a member of the ACT Party, displayed printed nude photos of herself in Parliament on May 14. The photos shown were nude images with her face visible, while the rest of the body was blurred with mosaic effects.

Representative Laura McClure warns of danger by showing deepfake nude photos. Photo by Laura McClure

It was later revealed that these images were synthetic photos created by McClure herself using AI. McClure stated, "It took me less than five minutes to create several of these deepfake images," and added, "I was also able to easily find websites for generating deepfake sexual exploitation material through a simple Google search." She went on to say, "For victims of sexual crimes committed through deepfakes, this is humiliating and devastating," and added, "Even though the photos are not real, having to stand in Parliament holding manipulated images feels utterly disgusting."

McClure particularly pointed out that deepfake sexual exploitation material has a severe impact on the mental health of young women. In reality, according to the media, 90 to 95 percent of deepfake videos online in New Zealand are non-consensual sexual exploitation material, and 90 percent of these target women. McClure stressed, "It is horrifying that people use AI-generated images to misrepresent others, defame them, and tarnish their reputations," and added, "We are ready to have those conversations to keep people safe."

Currently, McClure is calling for an amendment to the law to make the creation and distribution of deepfake sexual exploitation material without the subject's consent illegal. McClure asserted, "The problem is not AI itself, but the people who use it maliciously," and emphasized, "No one should be targeted in pornography without their consent. This is clearly digital abuse." She continued, "Current laws are not keeping up with reality. It is urgent to establish legal mechanisms to hold offenders accountable."