Recently, the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) in the UK released a disturbing report revealing a surge in AI-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM) online. With the proliferation of AI technology, almost anyone with a computer and a bit of technical knowledge can now create realistic deepfake videos.
During a 30-day investigation conducted by the IWF this spring, it was found that there were 3,512 AI-generated child pornography contents on dark web forums, most of which were highly realistic. Compared to a similar survey in the fall of 2023, this number has increased by 17%. More concerning is that the proportion of recently released content involving more extreme or explicit sexual acts has also risen.
Image Source Note: The image is generated by AI, provided by the image licensing service Midjourney
Dan Sexton, the Chief Technology Officer of the IWF, said: "The authenticity is improving, and the severity of the content is increasing. This is a trend we do not want to see." Although currently, completely synthetic videos still appear不够逼真, with the rapid development of technology, this situation may soon change. Although the vast majority of predators currently still rely on existing real video materials for deepfakes, this trend undoubtedly causes lasting harm to survivors.
In addition, the report also points out that the rapid development of AI technology poses new challenges to regulatory agencies, tech companies, and law enforcement agencies. Last summer, seven major AI companies in the United States signed a public commitment, promising to follow a series of ethical and safety guidelines. However, they do not control the numerous small AI programs scattered across the internet, which are usually free and easily accessible.
This new type of child pornography content may make it more difficult to track pedophiles who trade this content. The newly generated fake materials often evade automatic scanning by social media platforms and law enforcement agencies, leaving people puzzled about how to deal with this situation. The U.S. Department of Justice has charged at least one man for using artificial intelligence to create child pornography content, but there are still gray areas in how to legally define such crimes.
The FBI stated that it takes every accusation of child crime seriously and cooperates with local law enforcement agencies to investigate. It specifically calls on victims, if you or someone you know is a victim of child exploitation, please contact the Cyber Tipline immediately.
Key Points:
📈 Recent reports show a sharp rise in AI-generated child sexual abuse content on the dark web, an increase of 17% compared to before.
🛑 The authenticity and severity of fake content are improving, causing greater harm and distress to survivors.
⚖️ There are still gray areas in the legal definition of AI-generated content, posing new challenges for law enforcement agencies.