Artificial intelligence is everywhere, from the tools we use at work to the photos we see online. But behind the innovation lies a growing danger: with just a few clicks, someone can now create an explicit, fake image or video of a child using AI. No camera needed. No consent given. And until recently, there was little the law could do about it.
That’s why Colorado just passed a critical new law: Senate Bill 288: Intimate Digital Depictions Criminal & Civil Actions. Backed by child safety advocates, including the Denver Children’s Advocacy Center (DCAC), the bill makes it illegal to use artificial intelligence to generate child sexual abuse material, even when no physical abuse occurred.
DCAC Executive Director Will Braunstein testified in favor of the bill before the Colorado Legislature in April, calling for urgent protection in the face of rapidly advancing AI technology. With Governor Jared Polis’s signing of SB 288, Colorado joins 38 other states in outlawing this disturbing misuse of AI.
The Hidden Dangers of AI: Why This Matters for Kids
AI images and videos are also referred to as “deepfakes” as they are fake but are made to seem like they are real. These images and videos are indistinguishable from real photos. They can violate privacy and rights of children and adults as real images are often used to inform AI images. AI images and videos can also disguise real abuse of children and retraumatize children who have been abused. According to EnoughAbuse.org, “Sexually explicit depictions involving children—even if no physical abuse occurs during their creation—has significant psychological and long-term impacts on the children depicted.” Further, child predators have been known to use AI-generated images and videos to threaten and extort children and their families.
“Let’s be clear, these images are not harmless. They’re not virtual, they’re violations,” testified Braunstein.
DCAC’s Efforts to Prevent Child Abuse
DCAC is not just advocating for new laws—we’re in classrooms every week teaching kids how to stay safe. Our Denver Safe from the Start Program is a bilingual school-centered prevention program for children ages 3-10 that teaches children:
- Personal Safety – rules that will help keep them safe from potentially dangerous situations.
- Touching Safety – how to identify unsafe touches and to say “no,” get away, and tell a grown-up if someone tries to touch their private body parts.
- Assertiveness & Support – how to get out of unsafe situations and to ask a grown-up for help.
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