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UK Introduces AI-Driven Child Abuse Material Offenses

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The United Kingdom has announced it will make it illegal to use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to create child sexual abuse material, marking the first country to introduce such AI-related offenses. This new legislation is part of a broader effort to address the rising concern of online criminals using AI to create explicit images of children. Under the current law in England and Wales, possessing, making, showing, or distributing explicit images of children is a criminal act, but the new offenses will specifically target the use of AI tools to manipulate real-life images of children.

The move comes as reports of AI-generated child abuse material have surged nearly five-fold in 2024, according to the Internet Watch Foundation. “We know that sick predators’ activities online often lead to them carrying out the most horrific abuse in person,” said Britain’s interior minister Yvette Cooper. She emphasized the importance of tackling both online and offline child sexual abuse to better protect the public from emerging threats.

In addition to AI-generated content, predators are also using AI tools to create fake images for blackmail, coercing children into further abuse, such as through live streaming. The new legislation will criminalize the possession, creation, or distribution of AI tools designed to produce child sexual abuse material, as well as the possession of “paedophile manuals” that provide instructions on using such technologies.

A further offense will target the operators of websites that distribute such harmful content, and authorities will be empowered to unlock and inspect digital devices involved in these crimes. These measures will be incorporated into the Crime and Policing Bill when it is introduced in parliament. Earlier this month, the UK also announced plans to make the creation and sharing of AI-generated “deepfake” content, including videos, pictures, and audio clips that are sexually explicit, a criminal offense.

 

Britain to Make Sexually Explicit Deepfakes a Crime

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The British government announced on Tuesday that creating and sharing sexually explicit “deepfakes” will soon become a criminal offence in an effort to combat the growing problem of digitally manipulated images, often targeting women and girls. Deepfakes are AI-generated images, videos, or audio clips that convincingly alter a person’s likeness, commonly used to create pornographic content without consent.

While the UK has criminalized the publication of intimate images without consent under the “revenge porn” law since 2015, the new legislation specifically addresses the use of fake images, which were previously not covered. Data from the UK-based Revenge Porn Helpline revealed a staggering 400% increase in image-based abuse involving deepfakes since 2017.

The new law will make it a criminal offence to both create and distribute sexually explicit deepfakes. Offenders could face prosecution and penalties, with the justice ministry emphasizing that there is “no excuse” for creating such content without consent. This follows earlier proposals by the previous Conservative government, which also aimed to criminalize deepfake pornography, with offenders potentially facing fines or jail time.

In addition to the deepfake legislation, the government will introduce new offences related to taking intimate images without consent and installing equipment with the intent to create such content. Those found guilty could face up to two years in prison.

Victims Minister Alex Davies-Jones described this type of abuse as “demeaning and disgusting,” adding that it should not be normalized. Technology Minister Margaret Jones highlighted that tech platforms hosting such images will face stricter scrutiny and significant penalties. Campaigner Jess Davies emphasized that this form of abuse is causing “significant, long-lasting harm” to women and girls, resulting in a loss of control over their digital lives.

These new offences will be included in the government’s Crime and Policing Bill, which is expected to be introduced to parliament, though a date for its presentation has not yet been set.