AI’s Watchful Eye: Protecting Children from Sexual Abuse with Artificial Intelligence

According to the most recent National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, the number of crimes committed against minors in India increased by 16.2% between 2020 and 2021. Last year, around 150,000 cases of crimes against minors were registered across all states and union territories. Sexual abuse, kidnapping, murder, and child marriage are examples of such crimes. This chapter explains the various types of child sexual abuse (CSA) and provides a comprehensive overview of CSA in India, complete with numbers. Sexual abuse of children is a severe social issue that can have devastating consequences for the children who are molested. Artificial intelligence (AI) advancements in recent years have resulted in the development of technologies that could aid in the detection and prevention of these types of crimes. This chapter investigates how artificial intelligence can aid in the protection of children from sexual assault. It also looks at the apps developed by the government to safeguard children from sexual abuse. The first part of the chapter provides a background on sexual abuse of Indian children. It also underscores the importance of AI in keeping an eye out for grooming and other illegal activity on various online platforms and apps. Artificial intelligence (AI)-based systems can handle enormous amounts of data quickly, allowing for earlier identification of possible cases and subsequent timely intervention. Furthermore, AI can help automate the reporting process, and reduce the workload of human reviewers without sacrificing accuracy. Additionally, in the section: Empowering Safeguarding Efforts: AI Innovations Combating Online Child Sexual Abuse, new technology in the field is discussed in depth. In conclusion, AI has considerable potential to help in the prevention of sexual abuse of children. Responsible use of AI technology’s capabilities represents a major step forward for society in protecting at-risk children and making the world a better place for future generations.