• The United Kingdom is set to introduce laws against use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools that create child sexual abuse images.

• The government will make it illegal to possess, create or distribute AI tools designed to generate sexualised images of children, punishable by up to five years in prison, interior minister Yvette Cooper said, according to a news report.

• With this move, the UK will become the first country in the world to introduce such a measure.

• Possessing, taking, making, showing or distributing explicit images of children is a crime in England and Wales. The new offences target the use of AI tools to “nudeify” real-life images of children.

• The move comes as online criminals increasingly use AI to create child abuse material.

• Predators also use AI tools to disguise their identity and blackmail children with fake images to force them into further abuse, such as by streaming live images.

• It will also be illegal to possess AI “paedophile manuals” which teach people how to use AI to sexually abuse children, punishable by up to three years in prison.

• A recent inquiry had found that around 500,000 children across the UK are victims of child abuse of some form each year.

• The measures will be introduced as part of the Crime and Policing Bill when it comes to the Parliament.

What is artificial intelligence?

• The term ‘artificial intelligence’ (AI) means a machine-based system that can, for a given set of human-defined objectives, make predictions, recommendations or decisions influencing real or virtual environments.

• AI is the use of digital technology to create systems capable of performing tasks commonly thought to require human intelligence.

• AI is expected to change the way we work and live. In view of its positive impact on the economy, the technology is being embraced by countries across the world. Its proliferation is being regarded as the fourth industrial revolution.

• AI presents enormous global opportunities: it has the potential to transform and enhance human well-being, peace and prosperity.

• AI promises to transform nearly every aspect of our economy and society. The opportunities are transformational — advancing drug discovery, making transport safer and cleaner, improving public services, speeding up and improving diagnosis and treatment of diseases like cancer and much more.

• However, AI should be designed, developed, deployed, and used, in a manner that is safe, in such a way as to be human-centric, trustworthy and responsible. 

• The opportunities are vast, and there is great potential for increasing the productivity of workers of all kinds. 

• However, these huge opportunities come with risks that could threaten global stability and undermine our values. 

• AI poses risks in ways that do not respect national boundaries. It is important that governments, academia, businesses, and civil society work together to navigate these risks, which are complex and hard to predict, to mitigate the potential dangers and ensure AI benefits society.

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