AI to be used to grade indecent images of children

The Manx government is set to introduce a new system to categorise indecent images of children to enable the use of artificial Intelligence (AI).

Under the change, the island will adopt categories used in England and Wales sentencing guidelines from 21 April instead of using the existing Combating Paedophile Information Networks in Europe (Copine) scale.

The government said that would mean the constabulary could use AI to "rapidly" grade material that matches verified entries in the UK's Child Abuse Image Database (CAID).

Minister for Justice and Home Affairs, Jane Poole-Wilson, said the use of AI would reduce police officers' exposure to "distressing material" and speed up the process.

The new system would see images categorised from A to C, with A being the most severe, in relation to the possession, distribution and production of indecent photographs and pseudo-photographs of children.

The change will be applied to material that falls under the Sexual Offences and Obscene Publications Act 2021.

Under the Copine scale, the material is graded from one to five, with five being the most severe.

While the Isle of Man Constabulary already uses CAID, the grading of material is currently done manually by police officers and digital forensic investigators.

This was due to the database's AI grading tool not aligning with the Copine Scale, currently set out in Manx law.

The government said the tool had been "positively received" by UK law enforcement agencies for "significantly reducing the time it takes to review and categorise images".

Poole-Wilson said the move meant the police would be able to work "faster and more effectively" which would support work to safeguard the victims of sexual abuse and bring "swift justice" to offenders.

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