Harm to children caused by generative AI technologies is not limited to tools with video or photographic outputs, said Save the Children. Text-based chatbots also carry significant risks, including holding the potential to provide offenders information on how to commit child sexual abuse and steering children towards sexual conversations.
BRUSSELS, 5 July – A public health approach focused on prevention and early detection, in addition to response, is needed to stop children around the world from experiencing online sexual exploitation and abuse, Save the Children said.
The call comes at the start of the Global Dialogue on AI Governance in Geneva, Switzerland, which takes place between 6-7 July and aims to address best practices and facilitate open discussions on Artificial Intelligence (AI) governance.
Online child sexual abuse globally has grown exponentially over the last 15 years, going from 1 million reports globally in 2010 to more than 23 million reports heading into 2026, according to the European Commission.[1]
This includes child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) generated or manipulated using technologies such AI.
Harm to children caused by generative AI technologies is not limited to tools with video or photographic outputs, said Save the Children. Text-based chatbots also carry significant risks, including holding the potential to provide offenders information on how to commit child sexual abuse and steering children towards sexual conversations.
Francesca Centola, Save the Children Policy & Advocacy Advisor, Children’s Rights in the Digital Environment, said:
“To prevent countless children around the world from experiencing the trauma caused by online sexual exploitation and abuse, a public health approach is needed, shifting from seeing these harms only as individual crimes handled after they occur, to treating them as preventable societal problems that demand a coordinated approach.
Technology companies have a critical role to play through measures such as embedding safety by design, conducting risk assessments and mitigation, and detecting online child sexual abuse.
Given the vast scale of this child rights violation, effective detection is foundational to identifying abuse, enabling timely intervention, protecting children from further harm, and informing broader prevention efforts.”
Save the Children supports legal frameworks which include mandatory detection alongside voluntary detection, provided that appropriate legal and technical safeguards are in place. The organisation is calling on regulators to establish a clear legal basis for the detection of all forms of sexual abuse across all online spaces.
References:
European Commission (29 June)
For further media queries
Amy Sawitta Lefevre, Global Media Manager: Asia
Amy.Lefevre@savethechildren.orgOut of hours (BST) contact
media@savethechildren.org.uk
