AI driving child sex abuse imagery

In their 2022 annual report, Hotline.ie documented a massive increase in the amount of computer-generated child sex abuse material (CSAM) — accounting for 37% of their caseload in 2022, compared to 9% in 2021. File photo

Artificial intelligence software can take any image of a child and turn into child sexual abuse material, according to the Irish internet industry watchdog.

A Hotline.ie analyst said it could soon get to the stage where it might be “impossible” to distinguish between what is generated by computer and real images.