Discussion among NCMEC, tech specialists, and Crime Stoppers Houston revolves around the increasing prevalence of child sexual abuse content generated by artificial intelligence.
In recent times, local authorities in Houston have made several arrests involving AI-generated Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), marking a concerning trend both locally and nationally.
One such case involved an FBI analyst in Cypress, who was found with over 1,000 real and AI-generated CSAM images. This incident underscores the urgent need for action against this growing issue.
Leslie DelasBour, a journalist, has been speaking with various individuals about the issue of AI-generated CSAM. The concern is shared by Juan Guevara, a tech expert, who suggests that AI companies may need to go back to the drawing board to ensure their AI is not generating harmful content.
Rania Mankarious, the CEO of Crime Stoppers of Houston, is also working diligently to research and create preventative education to protect children. The organisation's efforts are part of a broader movement to tackle AI-generated CSAM.
The use of AI in creating CSAM has seen a dramatic increase, with reports surging by hundreds of percent in recent years. For instance, the U.K.-based Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) reported a 400% increase in webpages containing AI-generated CSAM in the first half of 2025 compared to the previous year. Similarly, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) experienced a 1,300% increase in reports related to AI-generated CSAM between 2023 and 2024.
The increased realism and complexity of AI-generated materials, including videos depicting severe abuse categories, make them harder to detect using traditional methods. Some of this content even uses the likenesses of real children, further blurring legal and enforcement boundaries.
To combat this growing threat, legislative efforts such as the Preventing Recurring Online Abuse of Children Through Intentional Vetting of Artificial Intelligence (PROACTIV AI) Data Act have been introduced in the U.S. Senate. This bill aims to encourage AI developers to proactively identify, remove, and report known CSAM from their training datasets, mitigate risks of AI platforms unintentionally enabling creation of abusive content, and hold technology companies accountable for screening their AI models and data.
The bill reflects growing recognition by lawmakers that technology companies must take responsibility for the AI tools they develop and deploy. NCMEC authorities emphasize the need for collaboration between law enforcement, tech companies, and policymakers to address how generative AI is misused for child exploitation.
Combating AI-generated CSAM requires combined strategies including legislation mandating AI developers to vet training data and implement safeguards against generating illegal content, advanced detection technologies that use AI and machine learning themselves to identify synthetic abuse materials despite increasing realism, collaboration between tech companies and law enforcement to quickly report and remove harmful content and assist in investigations, and public awareness and digital literacy efforts to understand AI risks and prevent abuse.
The challenges are significant due to the evolving sophistication of AI-generated images and videos, but legislative measures alongside technological innovation and vigilant monitoring are central to reducing and ultimately preventing AI-enabled child sexual abuse material online.
At the national level, child safety experts reported that the 2023 Cyber Tipline received nearly 4,700 reports of AI-generated images amid a broader surge to more than 36 million total CSAM reports. These statistics underscore the urgency of the situation and the need for continued efforts to combat AI-generated CSAM.
[1] https://www.iwp.org.uk/news/400-percent-increase-in-ai-generated-csam-reported-by-internet-watch-foundation/ [2] https://www.nationalcenter.org/news-release-ncmec-reports-alarming-increase-in-ai-generated-child-pornography/ [3] https://www.cornyn.senate.gov/content/proactiv-ai-act [4] https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2023/04/311_334545.html
- The disturbing trend of AI-generated Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) has been a concern not only in Houston, Texas, but also on a national level, with local authorities making several arrests in recent times.
- The urgency to address this issue is shared by various individuals, including journalist Leslie DelasBour and tech expert Juan Guevara, who suggest that AI companies may need to reassess their practices to prevent their AI from generating harmful content.
- Rania Mankarious, the CEO of Crime Stoppers of Houston, is working to create preventative education to protect children, contributing to a broader movement against AI-generated CSAM.
- The increasing realism and complexity of AI-generated materials, including videos depicting severe abuse categories, are making them harder to detect using traditional methods, often using the likenesses of real children.
- To combat this growing threat, legislative efforts such as the Preventing Recurring Online Abuse of Children Through Intentional Vetting of Artificial Intelligence (PROACTIV AI) Data Act have been introduced, aiming to encourage AI developers to proactively identify, remove, and report known CSAM from their training datasets. Collaboration between law enforcement, tech companies, and policymakers remains crucial in addressing the misuse of generative AI for child exploitation.
