AI generated child sexual images surfaced in a new investigation with horrifying outcomes. Pedophiles flocked to Patreon with AI generated images from Diffusion Stable software to sell life-like child sexual abuse materials at exorbitant profits. The BBC reported that responsible government agencies said that:
“Child sexual abuse offenders adopt all technologies and some believe the future of child sexual abuse materials lies in AI-generated content.”
Octavia Sheepshanks highlighted the worrying situation following months of investigation. In her response, there is a huge flood of AI generated child sexual images.
“Since AI generated Images became possible, there has been this huge flood…it’s not just very young girls, they are (pedophiles) talking about toddlers.”
AI art generators Make Parenting Girls A Nightmare
Dads and moms go through a lot in their attempt to raise confident and responsible girls. Some have sacrificed their jobs and others’ marriages to try and inculcate morals in their daughters. However, not all parents are successful as others lose their children to sexism.
Images generated using AI have added to the list of pains that parents have to undergo. NBC investigation had earlier indicated that adults use AI generated images for sextortion and blackmailing minors.
One of the horrifying incidents was in March when a 22-year-old met a 12-year-old girl in a video game and groomed her on Discord. Later, he kidnapped, raped, and locked her in a backyard shed. Discord CEO, Jason Citron promised that “As a parent, it’s horrifying. We take this stuff very seriously.”
The current hype in AI chatbots and its impacts on child safety online is a concern to every parent.
Read also: AI generated images make political rivals kiss
Pedophiles Making Millions in Child Sex Abuse Selling AI Generated Images
Two major platforms revealed in the investigations are Japanese Pixiv and San Fransisco’s Patreon. The California-based company is now valued at $4bn with over 250,000 creators. A host of well-known celebrities, journalists, and writers have accounts on Patreon. Notably, legit access to content costs about $3.85 monthly. Unfortunately, child predators using AI generated obscene images charge high prices.
“I train my girls on my PC for $8.30 per month.” Octavia Sheepshanks reported that some of these criminals market their content as “exclusive uncensored art.”
Patreon in a statement denied the claims.
“Creators cannot fund content dedicated to sexual themes involving minors.” Similarly, Pixiv hosts at least 1,000 AI generated child sexual images every month.
Is AI safe for Children?
Recent research has proved that AI generated images promote child sexual exploitation. Criminals use AI in three stages:
- They make AI images and AI art using Diffusion Stable Software
- They promote pictures on picture-sharing websites
- They link the accounts to more explicit images for subscription-based viewing
- Unsuspecting children and minors share contact information
- The criminals convince children, kidnap, and sexually abuse them
In as much as we blame AI generated images, parents too have neglected their responsibility in a potentially dangerous time.
This reminds me of one weekend. I was showing my wife how to open a ChatGPT account. She wanted to know its applicability in lesson planning. As we sat looking at our table, one of our son’s friends kept asking him to go and play. However, she was hooked to the phone watching baby songs.
I don’t want to. He responded
Okay. You don’t have to.
Since she had been persistent, I asked her about the game she wanted to play. Perhaps, I would be of help!
Her response was shocking, “M and D”
“One (m-mom) lies on her back and then (D-dad) pulls down their underwear, sits on top of them and swings.”
It has been months but I’ve never recovered from that explanation! You probably understand this more than anyone.
Parents and parents-to-be have a sacred role. The new responsibility is to protect their children from the ugly impacts of AI art generators.
The use of AI generated images in child sexual exploitation also raises legal and jurisdictional challenges. In many countries, possession and distribution of child pornography is a criminal offense. However, the legal framework may not be equipped to handle cases involving AI-generated content, as it becomes difficult to determine whether an image is real or artificially generated. This creates a legal loophole that could potentially be exploited by offenders, making it even more challenging to hold them accountable for their actions.
In conclusion, while AI generated images have the potential to revolutionize various industries, including entertainment and advertising, they also raise significant ethical considerations, particularly in relation to child protection and the prevention of child sexual exploitation. The misuse of AI generated images in the creation and distribution of child pornography poses a serious threat to the safety and well-being of children. Addressing these concerns requires a multi-faceted approach, involving collaboration between policymakers, technology developers, and law enforcement agencies, as well as education and awareness campaigns.