Australia is facing an alarming surge in child sexual abuse material generated using artificial intelligence — and this Thursday, the nation’s leading experts and officials will gather in Canberra for an emergency summit.
The National Children’s Commissioner will lead the roundtable, which brings together domestic and international experts, child safety advocates, and representatives from key tech and policy organisations to forge a rapid national response.
“This is a turning point,” said international expert Jon Rouse. “AI is now generating completely novel forms of child exploitation material. We must act before this threat overwhelms our protections.”
According to the US-based National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children, the number of AI-generated child sexual abuse reports skyrocketed by 1325 per cent — from 4,700 in 2023 to more than 67,000 in 2024.
The summit will address:
- Deepfake images involving children,
- AI-generated childlike avatars used to deceive and groom,
- Automated online grooming strategies used by predators.
Colm Gannon, CEO of the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children Australia, said:
“AI is being weaponised to target children. Australia must act swiftly to keep pace with the evolving threat.”
The roundtable will include contributions from Australian of the Year Grace Tame, the eSafety Commissioner, Bravehearts, and Childlight Australia.
“If we act decisively now,” Gannon said,
“Australia can lead the world in setting ethical standards for AI and protecting the most vulnerable — our children.”
