A University of Hong Kong (HKU) law student allegedly created hundreds of AI-generated explicit images of female classmates and acquaintances over nearly a year, with the earliest files dating back to May 2024, his ex-girlfriend has revealed.
The case came to light in February when the student's former girlfriend, Yvonne, discovered a folder containing more than 700 manipulated images while using his computer with his permission.
The folder included 25 subfolders, each labeled with the names of different women—primarily fellow law students, along with his former secondary school teacher and primary school classmates.
Metadata indicated that the earliest files were created in May of the previous year, Yvonne informed the BBC, suggesting that the behavior had been ongoing for at least nine months before it was discovered.
The collection contained both original social media photos of the women and AI-generated explicit images created using deepfake technology.
The revelation has sparked outrage among victims, with one HKU law student, Emily, criticizing the university's response as inadequate. While the accused student received a warning letter and issued an apology,
Emily argued that the disciplinary action failed to reflect the severity of the misconduct, which she believes should be permanently noted on his academic record.
The incident came to light last month, prompting HKU to issue two statements in response. In its second statement, the university clarified that it has been actively following up on the complaint since receiving it.
While a warning letter was issued to the male student and he has formally apologized, the university emphasized this does not constitute case closure.
HKU reiterated its zero-tolerance stance towards all forms of gender discrimination, harassment, and misconduct, pledging to cooperate with law enforcement agencies.
The university stated it will continue reviewing the details of the incident and take further action if necessary.
