Child porn, real or AI-produced, targeted by Illinois

AI-produced child pornography can be as harmful as the real thing

August 13, 2024

Experts and just about everyone else agree that child porn is bad — and Illinois is making it clear that child porn produced with artificial intelligence is just as harmful — and illegal — as the real thing.

A measure signed byGov. JB Pritzker clarifies that Illinois child pornography laws apply to images and videos created by artificial intelligence (AI) technology

Just like child sexual abuse images containing real children, AI-generated child pornography is used by predators to lure and groom minors and to normalize their own reprehensible behavior and child sexual abuse,” said Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, who initiated the measure.

Raouls law prohibits the use of AI technology to create child sexual abuse images that either involve real children or obscene imagery. The law also separately prohibits the nonconsensual dissemination of certain AI-generated sexual images.

The increasingly cheap and easy access to generative AI technology has facilitated a disturbing rise in explicit, artificially-created content depicting children, said Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz, a co-sponsor of the bill.

When AI technology uses images of real children to generate child sexual abuse images, the children who are depicted experience real reputational, emotional and privacy injuries, experts said in testimony before lawmakers. However, even when the technology does not use images of real children, the resulting child sexual abuse imagesnonetheless perpetuate abusive and predatory behavior.

What’s bad about child porn?

Experts agree that child pornography has severe and lasting harmful effects on its victims and society as a whole.

• For the children involved: The creation of child pornography is a form of child sexual abuse. Children exploited in this way often experience:

  • Psychological and emotional trauma: This includes depression, anxiety, PTSD, feelings of shame and worthlessness, difficulties forming healthy relationships, and an increased risk of suicide.
  • Physical harm: They may suffer physical injuries during the abuse, and may also contract sexually transmitted diseases.
  • Long-term consequences: The effects of this abuse can last a lifetime, impacting their education, employment, and overall well-being. The knowledge that images or videos of their abuse exist and may be viewed by others can cause ongoing distress and humiliation.

• For society:

  • Normalizes child sexual abuse: The existence and consumption of child pornography creates a market for it, fueling the demand for the sexual exploitation of children. It can desensitize viewers to the severity of child sexual abuse and contribute to the normalization of harmful attitudes towards children.
  • Increases risk to children: It can be used by predators to groom and lure children into abusive situations.

Child sexual exploitation can be reported online atCyberTipline.comand child abuse atdcfsOnlineReporting.dcfs.illinois.gov.