New Study Finds Rising Demand for AI-Generated Child Abuse Images

A recent study reveals a rising interest among online offenders in learning to create AI-generated child sexual abuse material.

The research, conducted by Anglia Ruskin University, highlights an increasing demand for such images on the dark web.

Dr. Deanna Davy and Prof. Sam Lundrigan analysed conversations from dark web forums over the past year. Their findings show that forum members are actively teaching themselves how to generate AI-based child abuse images by accessing guides and videos online and exchanging tips and advice with one another.

The study also uncovered that some members use their existing non-AI content to practice creating these images. Within these forums, some individuals refer to those producing AI-generated content as “artists,” while others express hope that technological advancements will make the process easier.

Dr. Davy warned that AI-generated child sexual abuse material is becoming a “rapidly growing problem,” stating, “We need to understand a great deal more about precisely how offenders are creating it, how widely it is being shared and the impact it is having on offender pathways.”

She also emphasized the misconception that AI-generated images are “victimless,” noting, “We found that many of the offenders are sourcing images of children in order to manipulate them, and that the desire for ‘hardcore’ imagery escalating from ‘softcore’ is regularly discussed.”