US investigators are using AI to detect child abuse images made by AI

The filing, posted on September 19, is heavily redacted and Hive cofounder and CEO Kevin Guo told MIT Technology Review that he could not discuss the details of the contract, but confirmed it involves use of the company’s AI detection algorithms for child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

The filing quotes data from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that reported a 1,325% increase in incidents involving generative AI in 2024. “The sheer volume of digital content circulating online necessitates the use of automated tools to process and analyze data efficiently,” the filing reads.

The first priority of child exploitation investigators is to find and stop any abuse currently happening, but the flood of AI-generated CSAM has made it difficult for investigators to know whether images depict a real victim currently at risk. A tool that could successfully flag real victims would be a massive help when they try to prioritize cases.

Identifying AI-generated images “ensures that investigative resources are focused on cases involving real victims, maximizing the program’s impact and safeguarding vulnerable individuals,” the filing reads.

Hive AI offers AI tools that create videos and images, as well as a range of content moderation tools that can flag violence, spam, and sexual material and even identify celebrities. In December, MIT Technology Review reported that the company was selling its deepfake-detection technology to the US military.