(Getty Image Bank)

A man in his 40s has been sentenced to prison for producing child pornography using an artificial intelligence image generator for the first time in Korea, local media reported Monday.

According to reports, the man was sentenced to 2 1/2 years on charges of violating the Act on the Protection of Children and Youth.

The accused created a total of 360 sexually explicit images on an image-generating AI program installed on a laptop in April with commands including "10 years old," "nude" and "child." The images created by the man were confiscated by the police, and have not been distributed.

Citing the images' lifelikeness, the court rejected the defendant's claims that the images cannot be considered sexual exploitation of children.

Under local laws, producing, storing and/or distribution of child pornography is punishable by a minimum of five years’ to life imprisonment.