AI tools have put child sexual abuse ‘on steroids’, Home Secretary warns
The Home Office said fake images are being used to blackmail children and force them to livestream further abuse.
2 February 2025
IWF In The News
Online child sex abuse material, boosted by AI, is outpacing Big Tech's regulation
Published: Mon 22 Jul 2024
Generative AI is exacerbating the problem of online child sexual abuse materials (CSAM), as watchdogs report a proliferation of deepfake content featuring real victims' imagery.
Published by the UK's Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), the report documents a significant increase in digitally altered or completely synthetic images featuring children in explicit scenarios, with one forum sharing 3,512 images and videos over a 30 day period. The majority were of young girls. Offenders were also documented sharing advice and even AI models fed by real images with each other.
"Without proper controls, generative AI tools provide a playground for online predators to realize their most perverse and sickening fantasies," wrote IWF CEO Susie Hargreaves OBE. "Even now, the IWF is starting to see more of this type of material being shared and sold on commercial child sexual abuse websites on the internet."
Read the full article at Mashable.
