'Disgusting and Disturbing': Study Finds AI Being Trained With Explicit Images of Children

We're not even quite sure what to say about this, because it's horrible and horrifying.

AI is being 'trained' using explicit images of children and, well, words fail us:

AI image-generators are being trained on explicit photos of children, a study shows https://t.co/sCVFqRlMiM

— The Associated Press (@AP) December 20, 2023

From the AP:

Hidden inside the foundation of popular artificial intelligence image-generators are thousands of images of child sexual abuse, according to a new report that urges companies to take action to address a harmful flaw in the technology they built.

Those same images have made it easier for AI systems to produce realistic and explicit imagery of fake children as well as transform social media photos of fully clothed real teens into nudes, much to the alarm of schools and law enforcement around the world.

Until recently, anti-abuse researchers thought the only way that some unchecked AI tools produced abusive imagery of children was by essentially combining what they’ve learned from two separate buckets of online images — adult pornography and benign photos of kids.

This is why SkyNet will turn on us.

And, frankly, we're Team Robot.

Are you serious?

— OkeyEgoCrypto (@Okey_Ego_Crypto) December 20, 2023

Yes. As serious as a heart attack.

We have a bright future ahead of us https://t.co/kFAblgAMPR

— Sylvan ᛉ (@jadethistle) December 20, 2023

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It's fine. This is fine. Everything is fine.

Everyone knew this would happen. Humans stay the worst creation on earth https://t.co/CXa04uvhzj

— Ami🌸 (@Amic_8197) December 20, 2023

Hard to argue with this sometimes, frankly.

Prosecute this. https://t.co/5DduGy36fo

— Kevin Ofchus Esq. (@Kevin_ofchus) December 21, 2023

Now and to the fullest extent of the law.

Disgusting and disturbing https://t.co/OsYSpw2SaT

— Not Your Negro- Check bio to find me elsewhere (@NotYourNegro68) December 20, 2023

Very much so.

freaking lovely :/ https://t.co/o3yXxAg2vh

— Corgi wrangler Jen Williams (@jen_williams) December 20, 2023

It's just terrible, isn't it?

Previously, it was believed that AI tools produced abusive imagery by combining adult p**nography with benign photos of kids. However, a new study found thousands of explicit child images in training datasets. https://t.co/ehPl1XiUtT

— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) December 21, 2023

We don't want to know how they got there. Too nightmarish to think about,

What the hell man https://t.co/2kZTfFfW10

— Awakenedlight10 (@awakenedlight10) December 21, 2023

What you say when you don't know what else to say.

AI doesn’t obey Laws, its artificial https://t.co/hAOVOzzVj3

— superjaded (@Superjaded13) December 20, 2023

AI doesn't exist independently. It is created and trained by humans. So those images got there via human hands.

The Stanford Internet Observatory found over 3,200 explicit images in the open-source training data set LAION, which was used to train popular AI tools. https://t.co/1Bc80ZWEp4

— Fast Company (@FastCompany) December 20, 2023

3,200 images. That's a lot.

If the AI tool is to be used to identify these images for law enforcement purposes then it will need the images to learn. A necessary evil.
(if law enforcement is not the use for the AI tool, then of course this is repugnant)

— Glenn Allen 🍊🚲🏐⌨️ (@glenn_a_allen) December 21, 2023

We're going to go with repugnant, regardless.

Horrific..
AI and child abuse.

Abuse in the machine.

Thousands of pictures of abused children found in an AI learning program.https://t.co/3jjeDqISN3

— Ana ️🪔 (@orbaccount) December 21, 2023

It is abuse.

And it needs to be stopped.

Pollution is not just in the real world, it is online too, and it may be just as harmful. https://t.co/tGnO4NkXH5

— Waste Shifter (@WasteShifter) December 20, 2023

An excellent point.

AI image-generators being trained on explicit photos of children

Those images have made it easier for AI systems to produce realistic and explicit imagery of fake children as well as transform social media photos of clothed real teens into nudes — APhttps://t.co/M5SCH8A9aR

— Walter Appling (@WalterAppling) December 21, 2023

This is just awful.

Of course it is.https://t.co/aEiUoVJlWr

— X'es you missed (@WstcoastCan) December 21, 2023

The fact some people don't seem shocked by this is also telling. They're horrified and disgusted, just not surprised.

WTH!https://t.co/wA0RxKknis

— david n (@DayveecrocketN) December 21, 2023

WTH about sums it up.

Technology can be great, but it's dark side is so dark, so vile, and so pervasive. And as tech advances, keeping up with safety and protecting children has to be a priority.

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