A children’s charity has called for action on Artificial Intelligence-created sexual abuse imagery.
The Internet Watch Foundation - which removes abusive content from the internet and reports a rise in the problem - has urged Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to do something about the scourge of child pornography when the United Kingdom hosts the upcoming inaugural AI safety summit.
Susie Hargreaves, their CEO, told BBC News: "We are not currently seeing these images in huge numbers, but it is clear to us the potential exists for criminals to produce unprecedented quantities of lifelike child sexual abuse imagery.”
The IWF - which is one of three charities in the world authorised to seek out the content for the purpose to take it down - began looking for AI-generated images on 24 May, and by 30 June, after investigating 29 sites, they found seven hosting child pornography generated by AI.
The specific number of images discovered was not disclosed, but dozens of pictures - some of which fit the most explicit Category A kind - were found immersed among authentic images depicting abuse.
Susie added: "We have a chance, now, to get ahead of this emerging technology, but legislation needs to be taking this into account, and must be fit for purpose in the light of this new threat.”
The summit - which will bring together experts and lawmakers together to discuss the ever-growing tech - was announced in June and comes amid concerns about AI and its impact on society like the ability to create child pornography.
Dr Michael Bourke, a sex offender and paedophiles specialist at the US Marshall Service, told the BBC: "There's no doubt in my mind that AI-generated images are going to increase these predilections, reinforce this deviance, and it's going to lead to greater harm and greater risk of harm to children around the world."
