(PHILIPPINES)
Union of Catholic Asian News (UCA News) [Hong Kong]
July 3, 2023
By Shay Cullen
Artificial intelligence can also be used to protect children but needs a strong leader to stand against online pedophilia
Recently I came across a research article by Angus Crawford and Tony Smith published by BBC News that said: “Paedophiles are using artificial intelligence [AI] technology to create and sell life-like child sexual abuse material.”
The opening statement tells us something shocking about the human species that has made the sexual abuse of children a brutal destructive entertainment, a money-making business to satisfy the lust and evil desire to have sex with children.
It is the most unnatural act one could think of, but what is more unnatural and more shocking is that most humans ignore, tolerate, and even approve of it and law enforcers and internet corporations are unwilling or incapable of stopping it.
It should make us rethink our own human nature and admit it is morally flawed as it tends to choose or tolerate evil rather than seek and establish the good among humankind. We must at least realize that the human species is in need of much expansive moral and spiritual evolution.
The human species is the only one I know of that sexually exploits its own offspring — a heinous crime that damages and even destroys the lives of many.
Humans pride themselves on being the most intelligent creatures to evolve, walk the earth and conquer it, and create music and art, but also destroy the environment that sustains all life due to their greed and moral poverty.
“These machines are slaves of humans and they can and are being used to do the good and the bad that humans want”
Humans have invented machines to duplicate human intelligence and use it to travel to outer space and walk on the moon. They have devised cunning and effective methods and weapons to kill and annihilate each other, and are ready to devastate and planet with nuclear war, which may make it unlivable for all life other than cockroaches and rats.
Now the machines they have invented have become more intelligent than humans. Machines that can think a thousand times faster than a human and invest and create proteins and medications and perform mathematical tasks impossible for humans.
These machines are slaves of humans and they can and are being used to do the good and the bad that humans want like creating life-like images of children being sexually assaulted.
The invention of AI is a mighty technology that is being used to supplement human intelligence. As one description has it: “Artificial intelligence is the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, especially computer systems. Artificial general intelligence (AGI) is the representation of generalized human cognitive abilities in software so that, faced with an unfamiliar task, the AGI system could find a solution such as machine learning. AI requires a foundation of specialized hardware and software for writing and training machine learning algorithms.”
Unlike other tools invented by humans, this one has a mind of its own, has no moral values or restrictions and once it is set a task and left running it will continue to do it, whether good or bad, with ever-increasing efficiency and improvement every time it is turned on.
This computer software will work away at incredible speed to accomplish the new tasks that it can invent, and without human interference, can set for itself. This is what is causing concern.
AI can be much smarter than humans who invented it and like the legendary HAL who takes over the ship in the 2001: A Space Odyssey movie; it may take over the operation of a nuclear power plant and hold the world to ransom.
Humans are wrongfully and criminally using this AI technology to create horrific images of children being sexually abused. Angus Crawford and Tony Smith in their disturbing article say: “The makers of the abuse images are using AI software called Stable Diffusion, which was intended to generate images for use in art or graphic design.”
“Pedophiles using AI for making very realistic life-like images of child abuse are working overtime and making billions”
AI enables computers to perform tasks that typically require human intelligence. The Stable Diffusion software allows users to describe, using word prompts, any image they want — and the program then creates the image.
But the BBC has found it is being used “to create life-like images of child sexual abuse, including of the rape of babies and toddlers.”
The article states that “a pseudo image” generated by a computer that depicts child sexual abuse is treated the same as a real image and is illegal to possess, publish or transfer in the UK. However, they are being sold to customers in Japan and through Japanese online platforms over the internet.
The creation and sale of sexualized images, child pornography, and even sex acts with a child, is not illegal because Japanese lawmakers seemingly believe that it is ok so long as the image is not that of a real child. Even cartoon games showing a child being abused are apparently allowed.
Thus pedophiles using AI for making very realistic life-like images of child abuse are working overtime and making billions of dollars.
Telecommunication companies and Internet Server Providers (ISPs) are challenged to act to protect childcare from abuse because the stimulated images of child abuse incite pedophiles to abuse children physically.
The AI detection program is a powerful device that can identify, detect, intercept and record any image of child abuse passing through a computer server — whether it is of a real child or a simulated one.
The images simulated by AI images are illegal in most courtiers and they can be blocked by an AI program. It is like the battle of the robots.
The ISPs allegedly reject the AI detection programs since they may slow down their servers causing them to lose money. Hence child abuse is allowed to go on even if the corporations end up being the enablers of child abuse online.
AI can be used for the good to protect children but will the powerful ISPs continue to defy the law and ignore their obligation to protect children from harm.
Only a more powerful leader can stand against their influence and power.
*The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official editorial position of UCA News.