Could AI-Generated Porn Help Protect Children?
WiredJUL 2023
AI Child Abuse Videos Surge 400% in First Half of 2025
Above: An ad to create AI girls reflected in a public service announcement on July 18, 2023, in Washington, DC. Image copyright: Stefani Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images
The Spin
Techno-skeptic narrative
AI-generated child sexual abuse material is out of control — fueling predators, overwhelming investigators, and exposing horrifying legal gaps. This isn’t harm reduction; it’s digital grooming. Synthetic children, made to speak, pose, and please, are no barrier to abuse. Real children will pay the price soon.
Techno-optimist narrative
AI isn’t just a threat — it’s a powerful tool in the fight against child sexual abuse. Rather than succumbing to fear, we must use AI to detect, track, and prevent harm. It can distinguish fake from real, support offender rehabilitation, and help law enforcement protect real children from unimaginable trauma.