Expert warns parliament of rising cyberbullying of children

ISTANBUL

In a presentation to a parliamentary commission, an academic highlighted the concerning rise in cyberbullying of children, emphasizing the potential for artificial intelligence to exacerbate the issue further.

"Currently, the use of artificial intelligence in child sexual abuse stands as one of the most urgent and glaring digital challenges. We are at the starting point, which means there are still many areas that need to be addressed," Professor Dr. Murat Okçu from Süleyman Demirel University remarked in his presentation, which addressed issues of child abuse, addiction, online dangers and control mechanisms on digital platforms.

Okçu stated that global organizations have warned generative artificial intelligence is worsening the problem of child sexual abuse, making it increasingly difficult to address this growing issue.

He further warned that one example of how generative AI is creating entirely new ways to extort money from children and their families is through synthetic speech models that mimic the voices of children's relatives.

Okçu expanded on the global reach of the issue, highlighting the troubling increase in reports to a child abuse hotline in the U.S. “In 2023, this organization received 36.2 million reports of online sexual harassment of children, marking a 12 percent rise over the previous year,” he noted.

Underlining the need to impose regulations and limitations in order to combat this expanding issue, Okçu said, "We cannot grant unrestricted freedom to anyone under the age of 18, just as we cannot to those over it. Setting boundaries is essential — not to outright forbid, but to establish clear rules in this regard."

According to the WeProtect Global Alliance, approximately 300 million children experience online sexual abuse each year. As a result, sexual abuse, exploitation, harassment, and online seduction — where individuals misrepresent themselves, either by creating false identities, downplaying their true selves, or altering their appearance — require stringent control.