At least 25 arrests have been made during a worldwide operation against child abuse images generated by artificial intelligence (AI), the European Union's law enforcement organisation Europol has said. The suspects were part of a criminal group whose members engaged in distributing fully AI-generated images of minors, according to the agency.

The content investigated in Operation Cumberland was “fully artificial” with “no real victim depicted,” but AI-generated child sexual abuse material “still contributes to the objectification and sexualization of children,

Europol has conducted a sting operation against a group whose members engage in the distribution of images of minors fully generated by artificial intelligence.