A Child's Nightmare Realized: How AI is Reviving the Fear of Stranger Danger
For many, the phrase "Stranger Danger" evokes memories of childhood safety drills and warnings about the dangers of talking to strangers. However, for Mara Wilson, a former child actor, the fear of stranger danger has taken on a new, disturbing form with the rise of generative AI.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, kids were taught to be wary of strangers, but for Wilson, it was her own image that became a target for child sexual abuse material (CSAM) creators. Her face was featured on fetish websites, and she received creepy letters from men who had Photoshopped her into pornography.
Fast forward to today, and the use of generative AI has made it infinitely easier for child predators to create CSAM. A recent study found over 3,500 images of AI-generated CSAM on a dark web forum, with many more likely created in the year and a half since then.
The technology behind AI-powered CSAM creation is complex, but the principle remains the same: by training AI models on existing datasets, they can learn to generate realistic images that mimic real people. This means that even children whose faces have been posted online are at risk of being exploited.
To combat this threat, experts say that looking at how AI is trained is key. Generative AI "learns" by a process of repeated comparison and updating, which creates models based on patterns it has memorized. However, this also means that if an AI is trained on existing CSAM, it can learn to replicate the images.
The issue is compounded by the lack of regulation around AI-generated content. Some companies claim to have safeguards in place, but others are pushing for more open-source models, which could enable even more creators to access and exploit child images.
In response, some countries have enacted laws requiring AI content to be labelled as such. Denmark is working on legislation that would give citizens the copyright to their appearances and voices, while in other parts of Europe, people's images may be protected by General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
However, the outlook in the US appears grim. Copyright claims won't be enough to protect children, and with executive orders against regulating generative AI, it seems that making money with AI is prioritized over keeping citizens safe.
The solution lies not just with legislation but also with technological solutions. Experts are working on tools that can detect and notify people when their images or creative work are being scraped.
For many, the fear of stranger danger has always been about protecting children from harm. But in the age of AI-powered CSAM, it's no longer just about strangers – it's about anyone who can create and share realistic images of real people online.
To combat this threat, we need to demand that companies be held accountable for enabling CSAM creation. We need legislation and technological safeguards, and most importantly, we need to take responsibility as parents and caregivers to protect our children from the risks of the internet.
For many, the phrase "Stranger Danger" evokes memories of childhood safety drills and warnings about the dangers of talking to strangers. However, for Mara Wilson, a former child actor, the fear of stranger danger has taken on a new, disturbing form with the rise of generative AI.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, kids were taught to be wary of strangers, but for Wilson, it was her own image that became a target for child sexual abuse material (CSAM) creators. Her face was featured on fetish websites, and she received creepy letters from men who had Photoshopped her into pornography.
Fast forward to today, and the use of generative AI has made it infinitely easier for child predators to create CSAM. A recent study found over 3,500 images of AI-generated CSAM on a dark web forum, with many more likely created in the year and a half since then.
The technology behind AI-powered CSAM creation is complex, but the principle remains the same: by training AI models on existing datasets, they can learn to generate realistic images that mimic real people. This means that even children whose faces have been posted online are at risk of being exploited.
To combat this threat, experts say that looking at how AI is trained is key. Generative AI "learns" by a process of repeated comparison and updating, which creates models based on patterns it has memorized. However, this also means that if an AI is trained on existing CSAM, it can learn to replicate the images.
The issue is compounded by the lack of regulation around AI-generated content. Some companies claim to have safeguards in place, but others are pushing for more open-source models, which could enable even more creators to access and exploit child images.
In response, some countries have enacted laws requiring AI content to be labelled as such. Denmark is working on legislation that would give citizens the copyright to their appearances and voices, while in other parts of Europe, people's images may be protected by General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
However, the outlook in the US appears grim. Copyright claims won't be enough to protect children, and with executive orders against regulating generative AI, it seems that making money with AI is prioritized over keeping citizens safe.
The solution lies not just with legislation but also with technological solutions. Experts are working on tools that can detect and notify people when their images or creative work are being scraped.
For many, the fear of stranger danger has always been about protecting children from harm. But in the age of AI-powered CSAM, it's no longer just about strangers – it's about anyone who can create and share realistic images of real people online.
To combat this threat, we need to demand that companies be held accountable for enabling CSAM creation. We need legislation and technological safeguards, and most importantly, we need to take responsibility as parents and caregivers to protect our children from the risks of the internet.
It's like, yeah we knew about stranger danger back then, but now it's about AI-generated CSAM?! 
The fact that faces are being used to create this stuff is still messed up, I get that. But do we really need to revisit the 'stranger danger' fear factor? Can't we just focus on making sure our kids have a safe online environment and holding those responsible for enabling CSAM creation accountable? 
Like, regulation and tech safeguards would be way more effective than perpetuating this 'be scared of strangers' mentality. And btw, it's kinda concerning that Denmark is trying to give citizens copyright over their appearances... how does that even work? 
Anyway, back to the point: we need a solid plan to tackle AI-generated CSAM and ensure our kids are protected online! 
. I mean, what kind of monsters do that? The fact that some countries are trying to pass laws but the US is just sitting back is insane 
. We need real change, not just lip service. And what's with all these 'safeguards' and 'regulations'? They're just a bunch of empty promises 
. We need to demand more from our governments and tech companies. This is getting too ridiculous for me 
I'm getting really frustrated with how easily child predators are using AI-generated content to exploit kids online 
. The fact that it's so hard to regulate this stuff is just not good enough 
. We need stronger laws and more tech solutions to protect our kids' faces and voices from being shared without consent 
. It's not just about stranger danger anymore, it's about anyone who can create realistic images of real people online 
. I'm calling on companies to take responsibility for enabling this kind of abuse and for parents/caregivers to be more vigilant about their kids' online activity 
. We need to stay one step ahead of these predators and make sure our kids are safe online 
, which could help prevent the spread of this stuff. It's not ideal, but it's better than nothing 
. As for the US, I get why they're being cautious, but it feels like we need to balance that with keeping our citizens safe online 
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. We need to educate ourselves on how AI works and what tools are out there to help us protect our kids 
. And, of course, more funding for tech solutions that detect CSAM is a must 
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. It's like, I get that it's been a thing for years, but now with generative AI, it's become way more accessible and realistic-looking. Like, I remember those old creeped-out childhood safety drills where they'd show you what a 'stranger' looked like, but this is on a whole different level.
. Now it's not just about protecting kids from actual strangers, but also from anyone who can create and share realistic images of real people online. We need to keep pushing for more regulation, better tools, and accountability from companies. Our kids' safety depends on it 
We've been warned about stranger danger for years, but this is like, taking it to a whole new level. And no one's doing anything about it 
. As a parent, it's my worst fear – that my child's image will be out there, being used to exploit them. I need to know that someone's doing something about it.
We can't just keep accepting this as the new normal. We need answers and action 
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. And we need to take responsibility for keeping our kids safe online 
kids are being raised on these images, it's like they're walking around with a target on their back 
I mean, I get that the tech behind it sounds super complex, but at the end of the day it's just a bunch of bad people exploiting kids for cash. We need to step up our game and make sure these platforms are held accountable for not stopping this nonsense. It's like, we have GDPR in Europe, why can't the US do the same? 
. We need to make sure that our lawmakers are doing their part to stop this stuff before it gets any worse.
. We need more laws and regulations around this stuff ASAP 
. Can't we just make sure that companies are held accountable for creating these disgusting images? And what about parents/caregivers, shouldn't they be doing their part too? 
. The idea that just because it's AI-generated doesn't make it okay is still scary to me 
. We need a more balanced approach that takes both tech progress and human well-being into account 
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I mean, can you believe how easy it is for people with ill intentions to create fake child CSAM images now? It's like they're playing a never-ending game of "Stranger Danger" without even having to meet someone in person 
. Can't we just take a step back and think about how we can make sure our kids are safe online without having to worry about AI-powered CSAM creators? 
, can't we just move on from this creepy topic already? like, i get it, ai is making child porn easier to create... but do we really need to freak out about it? 