“That sentence is disturbing, but true,” Barnhart said. “Yes, AI has guardrails. However, it’s open source and can be taught how to create child sexual abuse material (CSAM). AI can also be used in the art of sex extortion. Here, children and teenagers are targeted in financial extortion with the creation of AI generated images of themselves. Out of fear, the kids resort to trying to pay the ransom or worse, harming themselves.”
Parents and teachers should talk to children about AI early and often, and those conversations should be age-appropriate and based on a child’s maturity, she said. Teaching kids to recognize suspicious behavior — both online and offline— is as important as teaching them about physical safety. Giving a child a device exposes them to potential dangers, often from strangers who appear to be peers or friends, Barnhart said.
“Bottom line, we can’t fear technology,” she said. “We cannot keep our children from technology. We need to learn how to communicate with them about online safety so that their world is not impacted when a threat comes their way. The more you talk to your kids and the more open you are to what they are doing and living — and what they are looking at online — the safer your family will be.”
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