IWF warning over use of AI-generated abuse images

Published:  Wed 25 Oct 2023

A leading child protection organisation has warned that abuse of AI technology threatens to "overwhelm" the internet.

The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), external removes images of child sexual abuse from websites.

It says it has found thousands of AI-generated images which are so realistic they are criminal under UK law, external.

AI is being used to produce new images of real victims, de-age celebrities and unclothe children in ordinary photos to depict them in abuse scenarios.

"Our worst nightmares have come true," said Susie Hargreaves OBE, chief executive of Cambridge-based IWF.

"Chillingly, we are seeing criminals deliberately training their AI on real victims' images.

"Children who have been raped in the past are now being incorporated into new scenarios because someone, somewhere, wants to see it."

Read the full article at BBC News.

How the sending of one photo led an 11-year-old girl to become a victim of physical sex abuse

How the sending of one photo led an 11-year-old girl to become a victim of physical sex abuse

The girl sent a photo to a boy in her class before the image and her phone number were added to all-male online chat groups - she later started disappearing before being abused by "unknown men".

23 July 2024 IWF In The News
AI advances could lead to more child sexual abuse videos, watchdog warns

AI advances could lead to more child sexual abuse videos, watchdog warns

IWF warns of more AI-made child sexual abuse videos as tools behind them get more widespread and easier to use

22 July 2024 IWF In The News
AI being used to generate deepfake child sex abuse images based on real victims, report finds

AI being used to generate deepfake child sex abuse images based on real victims, report finds

The tools used to create the images remain legal in the UK, the Internet Watch Foundation says, even though AI child sexual abuse images are illegal.

22 July 2024 IWF In The News