A warning has been issued by a panel of specialists in child abuse and technology indicating that students in British schools are utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) to generate inappropriate images of their peers.
According to the experts, there has been a concerning trend where universities are reporting instances of students utilizing AI technology to create images that qualify as child sexual abuse materials.
Emma Hardy, the Director of the UK Safer Internet Centre (UKSIC) and also the communications director for the Internet Watch Foundation, described the generated images as alarmingly realistic, comparable to professionally captured photographs of students commonly taken in schools nationwide.
The lifelike nature of these AI-generated images raises concerns that individuals depicted in them could be recognized as victims of previous abuse, highlighting the potential dangers associated with their online distribution to strangers and predators.
UKSIC, a child safety organization, emphasizes the urgent need for schools to enhance their protective measures against the misuse of such materials by implementing more effective blocking systems.
David Wright, a producer at UKSIC, pointed out that with the increasing accessibility of AI generators to the general public, it is not surprising to witness such misuse of technology by young individuals who may not fully comprehend the repercussions of their actions. Prompt intervention is crucial to address this issue before it escalates and overwhelms educational institutions.
Moreover, it is essential to note that even cartoonish or less realistic depictions of child sexual abuse are illegal in the UK, irrespective of whether they are AI-generated or photographic, as highlighted by the Internet Watch Foundation’s recent alert regarding the proliferation of highly realistic AI-generated abusive images posing a significant threat online.
