Jess Phillips emphasizes the urgent need for laws against AI-generated child abuse material, highlighting alarming statistics and real-world impacts on victims.
Birmingham: Jess Phillips, the Safeguarding Minister, warns that the UK is facing a serious threat. She says online predators are becoming more dangerous, especially with AI technology.
Today, the UK announced new laws to combat AI-generated child sexual abuse material. This makes the UK the first country to take such strong action.
Phillips expressed her shock at how little has been done to protect children. She highlighted the tragic case of Cimarron Thomas, who took her own life after being abused online.
New statistics show a 380% increase in AI-generated child abuse images in just one year. This alarming trend shows the urgent need for action.
The new laws will make it illegal to create or possess AI tools for child sexual abuse. Offenders could face up to five years in prison.
There will also be new penalties for those running websites that share this material. They could be sentenced to up to ten years in jail.
Phillips joined police in raids to arrest suspects involved in online child abuse. She is determined to raise awareness about this issue.
Police have found disturbing cases where innocent photos of children were altered into fake sexual images. This can cause severe trauma for the real victims.
Last year, analysts discovered thousands of AI-generated abuse images on dark web sites. The number of severe cases has also increased significantly.
Phillips shared stories of victims who have suffered repeated abuse. She emphasized the need for society to take this issue seriously and protect children.
