UNICEF has called on governments worldwide to classify child sexual exploitation material created using artificial intelligence (AI) as a criminal offense. The organization warned that deepfake technology enables the production of fake videos and images that can severely harm children, and current laws are inadequate to address these new challenges. Deepfake technology manipulates images or videos to appear real despite being fabricated, posing significant risks to children’s reputation and mental health when used for exploitative content. UNICEF emphasized the urgent need to update legal frameworks to include AI-generated exploitative material, ensuring effective prosecution of offenders and better protection of children’s rights in the digital age. Globally, laws and policies are being continually revised to counter the negative impacts of emerging technologies, highlighting the importance of cooperation among governments, law enforcement agencies, and international organizations to safeguard children from all forms of exploitation. Experts warn that without immediate and effective legal action, the spread of AI-generated child exploitation content will increase, posing serious threats to child safety, and urge the global community to adopt a unified strategy to combat this emerging challenge.
Source: decrypt
