AFP warns AI chatbots becoming lifeline for abused children with no safety
The Australian Federal Police says more than one-third of sexually abused children turn to AI chatbots instead of humans.
One in four children under 18 have experienced online sexual abuse, an Adelaide University study found. About 15 per cent of those crimes involved AI.
Technology was also used in a quarter of cases where sexual images were shared without consent. AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett said police are talking to tech companies.
Chatbots need to give good advice. The AFP is building AI into its own reporting systems.
This helps flag children at risk of self-harm. Officers get alerts by phone.
The government's coming Digital Duty of Care will require chatbots to protect children from content that encourages eating disorders and self-harm.
Why it mattersIf abused children talk to chatbots instead of trusted adults, they may get poor support. Reports of abuse could slip through.
AustraliaAustralian children are using AI chatbots as confidants for abuse disclosures with no safety checks, a gap the AFP and government regulators are now racing to close.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
Open this story in InSnip →
