Regina Doherty: AI Used to Generate Images
Regina Doherty raises alarm over artificial intelligence being used to create sexual abuse material and calls for decisive action while protecting citizens' fundamental rights. She cites reports around the Grok AI scandal and urges the Commission and lawmakers to respond to the growing spread of child sexual abuse images online.
Immediate concern: Regina Doherty tells colleagues she is horrified that AI can be manipulated to generate explicit imagery and welcomes the Commission's swift examination of the Grok AI reports. She frames the issue as both a technological and moral emergency that requires urgent political attention.
Scale and context: Doherty highlights that millions of sexual abuse images are reported worldwide each year and that Europe is one of the largest hosts of this material. She stresses that the debate is much wider than AI alone and points to the continuing rise in online child sexual abuse content as an urgent problem to change.
Balancing rights and enforcement: While stressing the power and benefits of artificial intelligence, Doherty insists technology must not be a shield for abusers. She urges laws to be applied rigorously in Europe and calls for solutions that protect children online while respecting privacy and fundamental rights.
Immediate concern: Regina Doherty tells colleagues she is horrified that AI can be manipulated to generate explicit imagery and welcomes the Commission's swift examination of the Grok AI reports. She frames the issue as both a technological and moral emergency that requires urgent political attention.
Scale and context: Doherty highlights that millions of sexual abuse images are reported worldwide each year and that Europe is one of the largest hosts of this material. She stresses that the debate is much wider than AI alone and points to the continuing rise in online child sexual abuse content as an urgent problem to change.
Balancing rights and enforcement: While stressing the power and benefits of artificial intelligence, Doherty insists technology must not be a shield for abusers. She urges laws to be applied rigorously in Europe and calls for solutions that protect children online while respecting privacy and fundamental rights.
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Transcript
Sorry, it's Mrs Doherty. Thank you Chair. Colleagues, I think it's very clear that artificial intelligence is now being used to generate sexual abuse material and not just as a mother or a woman, I'm absolutely horrified. With all the warning signs, the reports of the recent Grok AI scandal showed that the system can be manipulated to generate explicit imagery and I think this is really deeply disturbing and I welcome the Commission's fast moves to examine this matter. But this debate is not only about artificial intelligence, about something that's much wider and deeply troubling in our reality, the continued spread of sexual abuse images and videos online. For every year millions of these images are reported worldwide and the numbers unfortunately are continuing to rise and the uncomfortable truth about Europe is that it's one of the largest hosts of this kind of material in the world and it's something that we absolutely urgently must change. Artificial intelligence is a really powerful tool and we know it's going to bring enormous benefits to all and every parts of our lives, but like any powerful technology it can and is being abused and when it's misused to exploit children we have to respond decisively. For any parent it's really concerning because we expect our children to be safe, as safe online as they are in the real world, so I think we need to send our clear messages to those people who believe the technology gives them a way to commit these crimes. You cannot hide behind algorithms, you cannot hide behind technology and you will not hide in Europe. Protecting our children online is non-negotiable but we must find a way that respects privacy and the fundamental rights of all of our citizens because in Europe technology can never be a shield for those who abuse children and those who try must face the full rigours of our laws.