Artificial intelligence is being used to facilitate the sexual exploitation of school-aged children in Australia, raising serious concerns among child protection authorities.
A new report has found that AI-generated sexual abuse and deepfake content are increasingly targeting teenagers, with experts warning that at least one student in many senior school classrooms may be affected directly or indirectly.
Australia’s eSafety Commissioner says major technology companies are still failing to deploy available tools that can detect and prevent AI-assisted child sexual abuse and online sexual extortion.
Authorities are calling for stronger safeguards, better education for students and parents, and faster action from technology platforms to combat the growing threat.
The findings have renewed calls for tougher online safety laws as AI continues to make digital child exploitation more sophisticated and harder to detect.
Australian officials are urging young people to report suspicious online behaviour immediately and reminding parents to stay actively involved in their children’s digital lives.
