Technology giants join forces to combat images of child sexual abuse on the internet

Leading companies such as Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI and Amazon have joined forces in a pioneering project that aims to establish solid guidelines to prevent artificial intelligence from generating images of child sexual abuse.

This project, driven by Thorn and All Tech is Human, seeks to direct the transformative power of AI towards progress that protects the rights and integrity of minors.

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The initiative highlights the importance of using clean databases for training AI models. The companies have committed to ensuring that the data used to power their systems does not contain images that exploit minors.

Furthermore, technology companies must implement robust control mechanisms and conduct rigorous testing to demonstrate that their generative AI models are free from the ability to create images of child sexual abuse.

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This project also reinforces the idea that technological innovation must go hand in hand with a firm development ethic. In seeking to explore the limits of the possible, AI must not exceed the limits of what is morally acceptable.

The magnitude of the problem these guidelines seek to mitigate is alarming. In the United States alone, more than 104 million files suspected of containing child sexual abuse material were reported in 2023, according to data provided by Thorn.

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This number reflects the urgency of establishing effective digital barriers against the proliferation of such content on the network.

How can AI affect the integrity of minors?
Generative artificial intelligence, although it has enormous potential for innovation, also represents a significant risk to the protection and safety of minors, deserving urgent attention.

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According to the document that supports the previously mentioned project, AI can affect the process of identifying victims with the proliferation of false images.

Additionally, this technology can be used to intensify harassing practices, such as grooming and sextortion, by producing content that simulates explicit actions and poses without the need for explicit source material.

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This type of content could also have the potential to increase physical contact crimes. “Normalizing this material also contributes to other harmful outcomes for children,” the document says.

Generative AI models can be used by predators to share tips on how to commit abuse effectively, including ways to coerce victims, destroy evidence, or manipulate abuse material to avoid detection.

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Phenomenon of non-consensual sexual deepfakes
The phenomenon of creating and distributing non-consensual images through artificial intelligence has expanded beyond minors, also affecting adults, including public figures and celebrities.

A recent Forbes investigation revealed how eBay, the well-known online auction platform, has become a marketplace for selling fake explicit content from recognized celebrities.

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Using advanced artificial intelligence and editing tools, such as Photoshop, sexually explicit images of at least 40 famous personalities were generated, including Margot Robbie, Selena Gomez and Jenna Ortega.

Surprisingly, an eBay store offered for sale more than 400 products containing altered photos of celebrities such as Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, Katy Perry, Ariana Grande and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, presenting them in compromising situations.

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eBay’s reaction to Forbes’ alert was immediate, deleting hundreds of these fake photographs and suspending the accounts of the sellers involved.

This incident highlights the urgency of implementing stricter measures to combat the spread of digital content generated without consent, highlighting the need for a stricter regulatory framework to protect the integrity and privacy of everyone in the digital environment.

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