Legal challenges in tackling AI-generated CSAM across the UK, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand: Who is accountable according to the law?

Konstantinos Kosmas Gaitis; Chrystala Fakonti; Zoe Lonard; Mengyao Lu; Jessica Schidlow; James Stevenson; Deborah Fry

Legal challenges in tackling AI-generated CSAM across the UK, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand: Who is accountable according to the law?

Konstantinos Kosmas Gaitis^*, Chrystala Fakonti, Zoe Lonard, Mengyao Lu, Jessica Schidlow, James Stevenson, Deborah Fry

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

Abstract

This study is among the first to examine the regulatory context of five closely inter-connected countries (UK, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand) in terms of accountability around child sexual abuse material (CSAM) created via generative artificial intelligence (gen-AI). The findings of our legislative review have helped us identify the key strengths as well as weaknesses of the legislative contexts studied. These countries were selected due to their democratic political systems, technological advances and progressive legislative systems. We examined 29 pieces of legislation and 25 cases for the UK context; 27 pieces of legislation in Australia and New Zealand, together with 4 emerging cases; as well as 279 statutes, 52 pieces of pending legislation and 65 cases in the US and Canada.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Searchlight 2025 – Who Benefits? Shining a Light on the Business of Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse
Chapter	Study F
Pages	50-59
Number of pages	10
Publication status	Published - 9 Apr 2025

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Childlight_Searchlight_Report_2025Final published version, 3.65 MB

https://www.childlight.org/uploads/publications/searchlight2025/Childlight_Searchlight_Report_2025.pdf

Does existing legislation on CSEA/CSAM across the Five Eyes nations and India allow for criminal liability or any other form of accountability with regards to AI-generated CSAM?
Gaitis, K. K. (Principal Investigator), Fakonti, C. (Co-Investigator (External)), Lonard, Z. (Co-Investigator (External)), Lu, M. (Co-investigator), Schidlow, J. (Co-Investigator (External)), Stevenson, J. (Co-investigator) & Fry, D. (Co-investigator)
15/01/24 → 31/12/25
Project: Research

Cite this

Gaitis, K. K., Fakonti, C., Lonard, Z., Lu, M., Schidlow, J., Stevenson, J., & Fry, D. (2025). Legal challenges in tackling AI-generated CSAM across the UK, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand: Who is accountable according to the law? In Searchlight 2025 – Who Benefits? Shining a Light on the Business of Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (pp. 50-59) https://www.childlight.org/uploads/publications/searchlight2025/Childlight_Searchlight_Report_2025.pdf

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Gaitis, KK, Fakonti, C, Lonard, Z, Lu, M, Schidlow, J, Stevenson, J & Fry, D 2025, Legal challenges in tackling AI-generated CSAM across the UK, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand: Who is accountable according to the law? in Searchlight 2025 – Who Benefits? Shining a Light on the Business of Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse. pp. 50-59. <https://www.childlight.org/uploads/publications/searchlight2025/Childlight_Searchlight_Report_2025.pdf>

Legal challenges in tackling AI-generated CSAM across the UK, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand: Who is accountable according to the law? / Gaitis, Konstantinos Kosmas; Fakonti, Chrystala; Lonard, Zoe et al.
Searchlight 2025 – Who Benefits? Shining a Light on the Business of Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse. 2025. p. 50-59.

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

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AU - Lonard, Zoe

AU - Lu, Mengyao

AU - Schidlow, Jessica

AU - Stevenson, James

AU - Fry, Deborah

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Legal challenges in tackling AI-generated CSAM across the UK, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand: Who is accountable according to the law?

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Does existing legislation on CSEA/CSAM across the Five Eyes nations and India allow for criminal liability or any other form of accountability with regards to AI-generated CSAM?

Cite this