Online child protection and AI challenges

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a powerful tool that can enhance many aspects of our lives, from entertainment to education to health care. However, AI also poses some serious challenges and risks, especially when it comes to online child safety.

Online child sexual exploitation (OCSE) is a global problem that affects millions of children and adolescents every year. OCSE involves the production, distribution, and consumption of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), as well as the grooming, coercion, and trafficking of children for sexual purposes online.

Big Tech companies, such as Google, Facebook, Twitter, and Microsoft, have a huge responsibility and role in preventing and combating OCSE on their platforms. They use various methods and technologies to detect, report, and remove CSAM, as well as to identify and assist victims and survivors. They also collaborate with law enforcement agencies, governments, and civil society organizations to share information and best practices.

However, AI is making the problem of OCSE more complex and nuanced. On one hand, AI can help Big Tech companies to improve their detection and prevention capabilities, by using advanced algorithms and machine learning to analyze large amounts of data, images, and videos, and to flag suspicious or illegal content and behavior. AI can also help to automate and streamline the reporting and removal processes, as well as to provide support and resources to victims and survivors.

On the other hand, AI can also be used by perpetrators and offenders to create, distribute, and access CSAM more easily and anonymously. For example, AI can be used to generate realistic and convincing synthetic CSAM, also known as deepfakes, which can evade traditional detection methods and pose ethical and legal dilemmas. AI can also be used to encrypt, hide, or disguise CSAM, making it harder to trace and track. AI can also be used to enhance the grooming and coercion techniques of offenders, by using chatbots, voice assistants, or social media bots to manipulate and deceive children online.

As AI becomes more advanced and ubiquitous, Big Tech companies face increasing pressure and scrutiny from lawmakers, regulators, and the public to ensure that their platforms are safe and secure for children. They also face ethical and technical challenges in balancing the benefits and risks of AI, as well as the trade-offs between privacy and security, freedom and responsibility, and innovation and regulation.

Recently, Big Tech CEOs were grilled by the US Congress over their efforts and policies to protect children online. They were asked to explain how they are using AI to prevent and combat OCSE, as well as to address the potential harms and abuses of AI. They were also urged to increase their transparency and accountability, and to cooperate more with each other and with other stakeholders.

The issue of AI and online child safety is not only a matter of technology, but also of human rights, social justice, and global cooperation. Big Tech companies have a vital role and responsibility to ensure that their AI is used for good, not evil, and that their platforms are safe and secure for children. They also need to work together with governments, law enforcement agencies, civil society organizations, and the public to create a holistic and multi-stakeholder approach to prevent and combat OCSE.

The article discusses how AI is making online child safety more difficult for Big Tech companies. It explains that AI can be used both to help and to harm children online, by enhancing or evading the detection and prevention of online child sexual exploitation (OCSE). It also describes the challenges and risks that Big Tech companies face in using and regulating AI, as well as the pressure and scrutiny that they receive from lawmakers and the public. It concludes that Big Tech companies need to ensure that their AI is used for good, not evil, and that they collaborate with other stakeholders to create a safe and secure online environment for children.