Sens. Ossoff, Blackburn urge Department of Justice to work with Congress to develop strategies that protect children from exploitation
AI-Generated child sex abuse material can undermine law enforcement efforts to help identify real victims of abuse, posing a significant threat to child safety
Sen. Ossoff continues working to protect children across Georgia and nationwide from harm and abuse online
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Jon Ossoff and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) are launching a bipartisan inquiry to protect children from sex abuse content online generated by artificial intelligence.
This week, Sens. Ossoff and Blackburn, Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Human Rights Subcommittee, are calling on Attorney General Merrick Garland and the Department of Justice to increase resources needed to prosecute cases involving the creation of child sex abuse material (CSAM) through artificial intelligence technology.
“DOJ officials who combat child exploitation say that such images still violate federal child protection laws, even if the child shown is AI-generated. According to reports, however, the officials were unable to cite any cases where a suspect had been charged for creating one. Given the proliferation of AI-generated CSAM, the absence of charges or successful prosecutions raises concerns about the effectiveness of our current legal framework in combating this heinous crime,” the Senators wrote.
According to experts, the quick development of artificial intelligence has enabled predators to create and distribute AI-generated CSAM online, adding more challenges to law enforcement agencies working to help victims of child abuse.
These alarming developments are now a growing threat for vulnerable citizens and are raising concerns about the effectiveness of the current efforts by the Department of Justice to combat this crime.
As Chairman of the Senate Human Rights Subcommittee, Sen. Ossoff has been reviewing the implications of artificial intelligence for human rights to ensure families in Georgia and nationwide are aware of the benefits and potential risks of this new technology.
Sen. Ossoff continues working to ensure that children and minors in Georgia and across the country are safe from harm and abuse. Last month, he launched a bipartisan inquiry to prevent human trafficking following Uber’s announcement allowing minors to request rides without accompanying adults.
Sens. Ossoff and Blackburn also introduced the bipartisan REPORT Act to combat the rise in child sexual abuse material online, which passed the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee and is a step closer to becoming law.
Please find Chairman Ossoff’s bipartisan inquiry to the Department of Justice aquí.
