Duchess Sophie sounds alarm on AI-Generated child abuse imagery

Duchess Sophie has issued a warning about the misuse of artificial intelligence (AI) to generate child sex abuse imagery. 

During a two-day trip to Brussels, Belgium, Sophie emphasised the urgent need to tackle online child sexual exploitation and abuse.

"As I speak, AI is being used to generate hyper-realistic child sexual abuse imagery at scale," Sophie said. 

She noted that 79% of teenagers are already using generative AI for learning, but are also receiving misleading or dangerous information from chatbots on topics like mental health, suicide, and grooming.

"This underlines the corrosive impact of online abuse and the scale of the challenge we face in tackling it," Duchess said. "It is a challenge we need to tackle urgently, particularly given the emergence of generative AI."

At an event co-hosted by the European Parliament Intergroup on Children's Rights, the Duchess of Edinburgh urged policymakers to prioritise children's safety and well-being. 

"Honoured guests – it is in your hands, a task of the utmost and urgent importance, because the lives and futures of millions of children around the world will be affected by what you decide, or do not decide to do."

She implored policymakers to "redouble your efforts in prioritising their safety and well-being so that they are empowered to learn, to play, to grow and to thrive in our world." 

The UK Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, Jess Phillips, joined Sophie at the event and emphasised the need for stronger laws to reduce online child sexual abuse.