Sri Lanka Police have warned that artificial intelligence is being used to generate realistic child sexual abuse material, describing it as one of the most serious technological threats now facing children online, NewsFirst reported.
The warning came in a public awareness statement issued on the force’s official social media platforms.
What has changed
Police said child sexual abuse material circulating online has historically consisted of photographs or videos of children who had actually been abused. Advances in artificial intelligence now allow offenders to manipulate ordinary photographs of children and generate realistic nude or abusive images without the child’s knowledge or involvement.
That shift matters because it detaches the production of abuse material from the act of physical abuse. A child who was never approached, and whose family never noticed anything, can still become the subject of such material — which is why police have framed the risk around photographs parents themselves post publicly.
Authorities said the technology threatens children’s privacy, dignity and mental well-being while opening new avenues for exploitation, harassment and online abuse.
Warning signs police listed
Police set out indicators that a child may be facing online coercion or undue influence:
- Quickly closing or hiding screens when someone approaches
- Suddenly tightening privacy settings on social media, or creating new profiles
- Signs of anxiety, distress or guilt, or withdrawal from family and friends
What police asked parents to do
Parents were urged to keep open, friendly conversations with children about online risks and about interacting with strangers on digital platforms. Police advised greater care when posting photographs of children — using private rather than public privacy settings — and told parents to monitor the sites, applications and platforms children use, and to apply parental control tools where available.
Not reported
The statement, as reported, gives no figures. Police did not say whether AI-generated material has been detected in Sri Lanka, how many complaints have been received, or whether any arrests have been made. No reporting channel or hotline was named, and no mention was made of whether existing law covers material in which no real child was physically abused — the question that determines whether such cases can be prosecuted at all.
