AI images of child sexual abuse getting ‘significantly more realistic’, says watchdog
GuardianAPR 9
Report: AI-Generated Child Abuse Content Surged 380% in 2024
Above: A young girl holds her mobile phone in Abidjan as she looks at a new online portal that provides people in Ivory Coast a safe and anonymous place to report child sexual abuse material they see online upon its launch on Sept. 17, 2020. Image copyright: Issouf Sanogo/AFP via Getty
The Spin
Narrative A
Current legislative frameworks are inadequate to address the rapidly evolving threat landscape of online child exploitation. The EU's delayed child protection regulations and fragmented international approach are leaving children vulnerable to exploitation. Stronger, coordinated regulatory action across jurisdictions is essential to combat this growing crisis.
Narrative B
The exponentially improving quality of generated content makes detection increasingly difficult, and the surge in AI-generated abuse material demands immediate technological countermeasures and enhanced detection capabilities. There is little that can be done to address this crisis until counter technologies catch up.