In the ongoing excitement about artificial intelligence (AI), nightmares are also coming true: AI-generated images of child abuse mark a frightening new trend in the spread of explicit content on the Internet. Criminals use open source generative AI models that are not only capable of creating extremely realistic images, but also frequently repeat the abuse of children who have already been victims of such crimes. These AI models are adapted based on shared datasets of abuse images – and criminals have become so bold that they are even selling monthly subscriptions for access to this new content.
