A new study has found that people on the dark web are increasingly interested in creating illegal AI-generated images of child sexual abuse.
Researchers from Anglia Ruskin University discovered that these offenders are learning how to produce such material by using online guides and videos.
The study, led by Dr. Deanna Davy and Prof. Sam Lundrigan, analyzed discussions in dark web forums over the past year.
They found that forum members are actively sharing advice on making these disturbing images and using existing content to improve their AI-generated creations.
Some even call themselves “artists” and hope technology will make it easier to produce more of this material.
Dr. Davy emphasized that AI-generated child abuse images are a serious and growing problem.
She stressed that there is a mistaken belief that these images are “victimless,” but in reality, they involve manipulating real images of children and escalating from less severe to more explicit content.
Understanding how these images are created and shared is crucial for tackling this issue, according to the researchers, as reported by BBC.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy76gx0rgzxo