New UK laws will crack down on 'sickening' AI sexual abuse in world first

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

The UK will be the first country in the world to make it illegal to own artificial intelligence tools designed to make images of child sexual abuse, the government has announced.

The new offence will be punishable by up to five years in prison. Whilst those who have been found to own AI 'paedophile manuals' could be jailed for up to three years, under measures Labour will bring forward in the Crime and Policing Bill. 'Nudeifying' real-life images of children, or stitching their faces on to existing images of abuse, are among the ways AI is being used by abusers, the Home Office said.

Fake images are also being used to blackmail children and force them to livestream further abuse. Ministers believe that the online abuse can lead viewers to go out and offend in real life.

Announcing a crackdown, including four new laws, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “We know that sick predators’ activities online often lead to them carrying out the most horrific abuse in person. “This Government will not hesitate to act to ensure the safety of children online by ensuring our laws keep pace with the latest threats.” The Bill will also introduce a specific offence for paedophiles who run websites to share child sex abuse, which could carry a 10-year prison sentence.