GitHub has recently published changes in the rules governing a policy regarding the hosting of projects that have the potential to create fake multimedia content in order to combat disinformation and misinformation. These changes, which are currently in draft form, are open for discussion for a period of 30 days until May 20.
One of the key updates is the inclusion of a provision that prohibits the hosting of projects that enable the synthesis and manipulation of multimedia content to create intimate images without consent (NCII) as well as content designed to mislead or spread misinformation. This prohibition extends to projects that promote, support, or endorse similar systems.
The rationale behind this ban stems from the increasing use of artificial intelligence systems to generate realistic images, sound, and video not only for creative purposes but also for nefarious activities such as the creation of deepfakes and the perpetration of spam calls. While GitHub aims to be accommodating to dual-purpose projects that are not explicitly meant for abuse and does not condone harmful usage, they are cautious of the potential misuse by malicious actors.