Nevada Sees a Surge in Explicit AI Photos of Students, But “Little Could Be Done”

Nevada High School is grappling with the rampant spread of explicit photos of students on social media created using AI by other students.

Parents of Victims Seem Helpless

The Story County Sheriff’s Office in Nevada is currently investigating the situation. However, the investigators said there is little they can do because the law of the state isn’t yet clear on matters relating to the creation and spread of AI-generated explicit photos, KCCI reported. 

“Our daughters are being victimized. and it doesn’t seem like there’s anything we can do about it,” said Chad Borwick, a parent to one of the affected students. 

“You don’t want things to happen to your kids. You want them to have better,” said Ida Nady, another parent to a victim. “They’re going to feel like they don’t matter like their voice doesn’t matter.”

The situation presents itself as a clear example of how AI can be used to hurt people. While good at creating texts and images, AI could be misused, which necessitates the need to accelerate safety measures by AI companies, and especially laws that punish offenders.

In Iowa, at least, a bill sponsored by Sen. Chris Cournoyer (R-LeClaire) is expected to become effective by July 1. The law will make it a felony to create and circulate full or partial nude photos of minors in the states, which covers Nevada.

Google, Meta, OpenAI, and Others Agree to Review Their Models Against Child Abuse

Big tech companies have also started a movement to curb the rise in child abuse images made with AI. Google, Meta, OpenAI, Microsoft, and Amazon, among others, agreed to review their models against the creation and spread of AI-generated child sexual abuse material and other sexual harms against children. 

The move comes at a time when the rate of child sex abuse online generally is at an all-time high. In fact, 2023 was the “most extreme year on record,” according to the Internet Watch Foundation.

The UK-based organization said the thousands of images and videos of three to six-year-old children are now being found on the open internet.

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