From deepfakes to grooming: UN warns of escalating AI threats to children
AI and the Rising Threat to Child Safety Online
Cosmas Zavazava, Director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau at the International telecommunications Union (ITU) – a key agency involved in drafting recent guidelines – highlights the numerous ways children are being targeted online.These dangers range from grooming and deepfakes to harmful features, cyberbullying, and exposure to inappropriate content.
“We saw that, during the COVID-19 pandemic, many children, notably girls and young women, were abused online and, in many cases, that translated to physical harm,” Zavazava explains.
How AI is Exploited
Organizations dedicated to child protection report that predators are now using AI to analyze a child’s online activity,emotional state,and interests. This data allows them to refine their grooming tactics, making them more effective and insidious.
Furthermore, AI facilitates the creation of explicit, fake images of real children, leading to a disturbing new form of sexual extortion. This technology amplifies the harm and creates new avenues for abuse.
Dramatic Increase in Technology-facilitated Abuse
The Childlight global Child Safety Institute, an independent institution focused on child sexual exploitation and abuse data, revealed a significant surge in technology-facilitated abuse cases in the US. Their 2025 report showed an increase from 4,700 cases in 2023 to over 67,000 in 2024.
Key Takeaways
- AI is being used by predators to analyze children’s online behavior for grooming purposes.
- AI enables the creation of non-consensual intimate imagery, leading to sexual extortion.
- Technology-facilitated child abuse cases have increased dramatically, with a significant rise reported in the US.
- International organizations like the ITU are working to establish guidelines and recommendations to combat these threats.
This alarming trend underscores the urgent need for increased awareness, preventative measures, and international cooperation to protect children in the digital world.
Publication Date: 2026/02/08 19:49:45