Even in cases where the content is entirely artificial and no real victims are depicted, AI-generated child sexual abuse images still contribute to the objectification and sexualisation of children, the European agency stresses.
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Images of child sexual abuse generated using artificial intelligence are on the rise, making it increasingly difficult to identify victims and perpetrators, the European police agency Europol warned on Monday (July 22).
“The volume of self-made sexual material now constitutes a significant and growing share of child sexual abuse material online”and is “expected to proliferate further in the near future”the agency said in a report.
Even in cases where the content is entirely artificial, and no real victims are depicted, AI-generated child sexual abuse material still contributes to the objectification and sexualisation of children, Europol reported.
The use of AI to generate or modify child sexual abuse material is also increasing “the amount of illicit material in circulation complicates the identification of victims as well as perpetrators”.
More than 300 million children are victims of online sexual exploitation and abuse every year, researchers at the University of Edinburgh said in May.
