AI-generated child abuse imagery will proliferate extortion of minors, report warns

A Europol cybercrime report said that the 'growing volume' of child abuse imagery online was posing difficulties to law enforcement

Europol's executive director Catherine De Bolle said the number of cybercriminals entering the market continued to grow steadily last year.

Online sexual extortion of minors is a “rising threat” and AI-generated imagery will further proliferate in the near future, according to a Europol cybercrime report.

The EU police coordination agency said that AI-assisted cybercrime has “only just begun” — not just in the creation of child abuse imagery but also in sophisticated online scams.