Law enforcement is trying to combat abusive AI. Experts say easier said than done

Law Law enforcement is trying to combat abusive AI. Experts say easier said than done April 14, 20262:11 PM ET By  Alana Wise A person has a conversation with a humanoid robot from AI Life, on display at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Frederic J. Brown/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Frederic J. Brown/Getty Images An Ohio man has been convicted of cybercrimes, including the publication of AI-generated images depicting abusive sexual activity, in a historic first under the federal 2025 Take It Down Act. But experts warn that prosecuting these cases is increasingly difficult. James Strahler, 37, pleaded guilty to cyberstalking, producing obscene visual representations of child sexual abuse and publication of digital forgeries – crimes that included both real and AI-generated images, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Southern District of Ohio. The Take it Down Act makes it illegal to publish nonconsensual, intimate digital content. Sponsor Message Technology Elon Musk's X faces bans and investigations over nonconsensual bikini images Strahler used dozens of AI platforms and over 100 AI web-based models on his phone to create more than 700 illicit images to post to a website dedicated to child sexual abuse material, according to the Justice Department. According to court records, Strahler was caught when one of his adult victims reported receiving threatening and harassing messages. Court records also state that Strahler admitted to being the one behind the violent calls and texts. Information extracted from his seized phone revealed additional victims and the extent of his AI abuse. Small risks for big payouts Kolina Koltai is a senior researcher at Bellingcat — an investigative journalism group — who specializes in AI technology. She said the sheer volume of the content Strahler created is not unusual for these sorts of offenders, and that is part of what makes it so difficult for law enforcement to manage. "Even when we t...