A sweeping new law in Florida that took effect Wednesday makes it illegal to produce sexual images of a person using artificial intelligence or similar technologies without their permission.

The new law also allows people whose photographs were manipulated that way to sue those responsible in civil court.

The law took effect this week only two days after Marion County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Lucius William Martin , 39, of Eustis, and accused him of using AI to produce nude images of the juvenile daughter of someone close to him and her friend. The software Martin used digitally removed the girls’ clothing in pictures he downloaded from social media, according to court records.

Such tools can be used to “nudify” an otherwise innocent photograph.

Martin was arrested Monday and rema

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