Urgent actions needed to stop spread of AI-generated child sexual abuse images on internet

Users raised concerns recently that Meta's stickers, which are generated by artificial intelligence (AI) are problematic. They are deemed lewd, rude, and sometimes nude. Users on social media shared images of the stickers which show cartoon characters wielding weapons, naked celebrities, and child soldiers.

Now, a recent report suggested that the problem could become much worse, especially in the context of child sexual abuse images on the internet.

A watchdog agency warned on Tuesday (Oct 24) that urgent actions are needed to tackle the situation and put controls on artificial intelligence tools that generate deepfake photos.

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The UK-based Internet Watch Foundation has called on governments and technology providers to take action to curb the spread of AI-generated images of child sexual abuse.

It argued in a written report that if measures are not taken, then such photos will overwhelm law enforcement investigators in no time. It vastly expands the pool of potential victims.

As quoted by The Associated Press, Dan Sexton, the watchdog group's chief technology officer, said: "We're not talking about the harm it might do. This is happening right now and it needs to be addressed right now."

In September, a South Korean man was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison for using AI to create 360 virtual child abuse images, according to the Busan District Court in the country’s southeast. This was the first-of-its-kind case in South Korea.

In April, a 22-year-old man from Long Island, US, was sentenced to six months behind bars for posting deepfake photos of underage girls on porn sites.

Such cases have becomea matter of grave concern as it gives a glimpse of what the future may look like for all genders, especially for women.

It also shows the darker side of the AI revolution, which is the hottest tech trend currently.

As per Sexton, IWF analysts discovered faces of famous children online as well as a "massive demand for the creation of more images of children who've already been abused, possibly years ago".

He said, "They're taking existing real content and using that to create new content of these victims. That is just incredibly shocking."

(With inputs from agencies)

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