BBC Exposes Illegal Use of AI Technology to Create Child Sexual Abuse Images

Paedophiles are using AI software called Stable Diffusion to create life-like images of child sexual abuse, including the rape of babies and toddlers.

The content is being shared via platforms such as Patreon and the Japanese social media site Pixiv.

UK police have encountered such content in their online child abuse investigations.

The National Police Chiefs' Council lead on child safeguarding warned that a paedophile could move "along this scale of offending from thought, to synthetic, to actually the abuse of a live child." The NPCC has called for social media platforms to take moral responsibility and address the issue.

Patreon is a platform where fans can support creators by subscribing to their content, such as blogs, podcasts, videos, and images.

The platform claims to have over 250,000 creators and boasts well-known celebrities, journalists, and writers.

However, an investigation by the BBC found that some Patreon accounts were offering AI-generated, photo-realistic obscene images of children for sale.

The accounts had different levels of pricing depending on the type of material requested, with one user offering "exclusive uncensored art" for $8.30 per month.

Another user wrote on his account, "I train my girls on my PC," adding that they showed "submission." Patreon removed the accounts immediately after being notified by the BBC, stating that it had a "zero-tolerance" policy towards such content.

However, the increase in AI-generated harmful content on the internet is a growing concern, and the platform has dedicated teams, technology, and partnerships to keep teens safe.

The NPCC's Ian Critchley believes that the flood of realistic AI images could slow down the process of identifying real victims of abuse and believes it is a pivotal moment for society to address the risks that AI poses to people's privacy, human rights, and safety.