The Australian Federal Police (AFP) is calling on parents and carers to have open, non-judgemental conversations with children about the dangers of using artificial intelligence (AI) to create harmful content, as cases of AI-generated child abuse material rise.
The AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) has reported a troubling increase in such material over the past year, including instances where students have created deepfake content to harass or embarrass peers.
Highlighting the seriousness of the issue, two Australian men were jailed last year—one for possessing AI-generated child abuse material and another for using AI programs to produce abusive content.
AFP Commander Helen Schneider warned that young people might not realise creating AI-based content featuring classmates could amount to a criminal offence.
“Children and young people are curious by nature. However, anything that depicts the abuse of someone under 18—whether it’s videos, images, drawings, or stories—is child abuse material, regardless of whether it’s ‘real’ or not.”
Parents and carers are encouraged to use resources from the AFP-led ThinkUKnow education program to help guide these critical discussions. Topics could include safe technology use, responding to exposure to harmful content, securing online privacy settings, and handling unknown friend requests.
In the 2023/24 financial year, ThinkUKnow conducted 2,218 presentations on online child sexual exploitation, reaching over 200,000 students nationwide. An additional 317 sessions targeted more than 21,500 parents, carers, and teachers.
The ACCCE continues to spearhead national efforts against child exploitation, combining specialised expertise to support investigations and develop preventative strategies for a safer online environment.
Parents and guardians are urged to be proactive in educating their children about the ethical and legal boundaries of using emerging technologies, as AI tools become increasingly accessible.
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