tech
January 17, 2026
My picture was used in child abuse images. AI is putting others through my nightmare
I was a child actor, exploited by strangers on the internet. Now millions of children face the same danger
TL;DR
- The concept of "Stranger Danger" in the 1980s and 90s was largely misplaced, as most child abuse is perpetrated by known individuals.
- The internet and public visibility, especially for child actors, made them accessible to predators and led to the creation of non-consensual sexualized images.
- Generative AI has escalated the threat, enabling the creation of deepfakes and CSAM with unprecedented ease.
- AI models learn from training data, and the presence of CSAM in these datasets can contribute to the generation of exploitative content.
- Safeguards are in place at some companies, but open-source AI models and a lack of strict regulation, particularly in the US, increase the risk.
- Legislation in countries like China and Denmark, and regulations like GDPR in Europe, are being implemented to address AI-generated harmful content.
- Legal recourse is being explored through civil liability and torts like "false light" invasion of privacy, holding companies accountable.
- Technological solutions for detecting image scraping and greater public demand for accountability and legislation are crucial.
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