The UK has announced plans to make it illegal to use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to create child sexual abuse images, positioning itself as the first country to introduce such specific AI-related offenses, according to a Reuters report.
This move comes in response to the rising concern over the use of AI in creating disturbing and explicit material, particularly images that manipulate real-life photos of children. The new legislation will explicitly target the use of AI technologies to “nudeify” real children’s images, further expanding the legal tools available to fight such heinous acts. This is particularly pressing as reports indicate a nearly five-fold increase in instances of AI-generated child abuse material in 2024, according to the Internet Watch Foundation.
Minister Yvette Cooper stressed the urgency of addressing online child exploitation, noting that digital platforms often serve as a stepping stone for criminals to exploit children in real life. “We know that sick predators’ activities online often lead to them carrying out the most horrific abuse in person,” Britain’s interior minister Yvette Cooper was quoted in the report. “It is vital that we tackle child sexual abuse online as well as offline so we can better protect the public from new and emerging crimes.”
Why are Adani Group stocks rallying as much as 19%? This is because…
Police custody of Saif Ali Khan’s attacker extended till Jan 29
Flipkart co-founder Sachin Bansal’s Navi Technologies defrauded of Rs 14.26 cr via payment gateway bug
In a problem-solving mode
The new laws will criminalise the possession, creation, or distribution of AI tools intended for generating such abusive material. Additionally, individuals found in possession of so-called “AI paedophile manuals,” which provide instructions for using AI to create such content, will also face prosecution.
The measures outlined will be incorporated into the Crime and Policing Bill, which will soon be presented to parliament. Further provisions will target websites that distribute child abuse material and allow authorities to unlock digital devices for investigation. Earlier this month, the UK also proposed making the creation and distribution of AI-generated “deepfakes” involving explicit content a criminal offense, adding another layer to its efforts to combat the misuse of AI in online abuse.
