The United Kingdom is set to become the first country to introduce laws banning artificial intelligence (AI) tools used to generate child sexual abuse images, the government announced on
Saturday.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper stated that it would be illegal to create, possess, or distribute AI tools designed for such content, with offenders facing up to five years in prison.
Additionally, the legislation will criminalize the possession of AI-generated "paedophile manuals" that provide instructions on using AI for child abuse, with violations carrying a penalty of up to three years in prison.
“This is a deeply disturbing issue. Online child sexual abuse material is already a growing problem, but AI is now amplifying the threat,” Cooper told Sky News on Sunday.
She explained that AI tools are making it easier for perpetrators to groom children and manipulate their images, using them as leverage for further abuse and blackmail. “It is one of the most heinous crimes,” she added.
The new law will also target specific AI models used for child abuse, with Cooper emphasizing that while other countries have yet to take similar action, she hopes they will follow suit.
Government reports indicate that AI tools are being used to generate abusive images by digitally altering real photos of children or superimposing children’s faces onto existing explicit images.
The legislation will further criminalize operators of websites that facilitate the sharing of child abuse content or provide guidance on grooming children, with offenders facing up to ten years in prison.
Cooper referenced a recent inquiry that found approximately 500,000 children in the UK experience some form of abuse each year, with online abuse becoming an increasing concern.
These measures will be introduced as part of the Crime and Policing Bill when it reaches Parliament.
The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) has reported a rise in AI-generated child abuse imagery. Over a 30-day period in 2024, IWF analysts identified 3,512 such images on a single dark web site. Additionally, the number of the most serious category of abuse images increased by 10% in a year, highlighting the urgency of the issue.
With this legislation, the UK aims to set a global precedent in tackling AI-driven child exploitation, ensuring stricter penalties for those who create and distribute such content. Photo by mikemacmarketing, Wikimedia commons.
