Labour urged to ban 'AI paedophile manuals' being shared online
A loophole in the law has allowed predators to share instructions on how to create deepfake images. Labour has been urged to ban AI “paedophile manuals” that teach predators how to generate images and videos of child abuse. The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), a Cambridge-based watchdog, urged the Government to close this loophole.
Loophole in the Law
Since 2014, it has been against the law to download or possess so-called “grooming manuals”, which are shared by abusers to teach others how to target victims. However, the IWF warned that a loophole remained allowing paedophiles to use online forums to train others to create AI child sexual abuse images. Dan Sexton, chief technology officer at the IWF, highlighted the presence of a “very experienced” technical community among abusers who are “training, helping, and skilling up others”.
Increase in Child Abuse Images
The IWF identified 3,512 illegal child abuse images generated by AI in a recent study. This marked an increase from a previous survey, with the number of “category A” images, the most serious, showing a rise as well. Using the latest AI tools, people can generate highly photorealistic images using only text prompts.
Dan Sexton noted that the realism of these generated images has improved significantly, making it difficult to distinguish between real and fake images of children.
Government Response
A government spokesman stated that they welcome the Internet Watch Foundation report and are committed to further measures to keep children safe online. They emphasized the importance of going after those who would cause harm, especially where AI is involved.
While plans for an AI Bill were expected, including new safety measures, this was absent from a recent King's Speech. However, efforts are being made to prevent the creation and spread of harmful content, including deepfakes, as part of ongoing initiatives to protect children online.
The IWF and other organizations continue to advocate for stricter regulations on the use of AI technology to prevent its misuse in creating abusive and illegal content.
