The way children are harmed online is changing – fast. AI isn’t just another technological shift; it’s a tidal wave. Generative AI has already rewritten the rules of child exploitation, supercharging the creation and spread of harmful content.

And as law enforcement and tech companies work to combat this, we face an even deeper issue: recidivism in the digital age.

Historically, repeat offenders have adapted to every new technological safeguard. Now, AI gives them the power to do so faster and more effectively than ever before. But AI also holds the key to fighting back.

At ICMEC Australia, we listened to the experts and saw this challenge coming. But we also saw an opportunity. That’s why we launched the SaferAI for Children Coalition – a collective force of researchers, law enforcement, government, and industry working together to tackle AI-driven harms at its roots. The power of collaboration isn’t just a feel-good idea; it’s essential. Tackling AI-enabled harm means breaking down silos, aligning strategies, and ensuring our defenses evolve as rapidly as the threats.

This session will explore what happens when we move beyond siloed efforts and toward radical cooperation. We’ll share how the Coalition is driving strategic, multi-sector action – and explore what’s possible when we combine collaboration with AI-driven innovation. From using AI to detect behavioural patterns of reoffending, to deploying data poisioning to disrupt AI-generated abuse content, we’ll push the conversation beyond traditional interventions. We’ll also explore the unintended risks of AI in countering CSAM, from challenges with training data to the threat of adversarial manipulation and the ethical complexities of automated decision-making.

AI development is moving at breakneck speed - offenders are already using this to their advantage. This isn’t just about keeping up – it's about getting ahead, staying ahead, and reshaping the future of child protection before it’s too late.

The question isn’t whether AI will change everything. It’s already changing the face of child protection. The real question is: What are we going to do about it?