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Misuse of AI causing harm to the Island's young people

Wednesday, 14 January 2026 06:25

Picture credit: Pixabay

Some images being generated could amount to sexual offences, warn police

There's a warning that genuine harm is being caused to some young people on the Island due to the misuse of AI.

Recently, Manx police reported a 'sharp increase' in students, in and out of school, creating images through Artificial Intelligence with the aim of bullying and ridiculing their peers.

Read more HERE.

The images, in some cases, have been dubbed 'rude and offensive' and others described as prohibited or indecent - which police say could amount to a criminal offence.

"Can you imagine the emotional, mental health harm of being that person wondering if your image is out there, could it get out there?" - PC Louise Kennaugh

PC Louise Kennaugh is working with schools to try and get the message across that it's not acceptable, and there could be consequences:

Parents concerned that their child has been affected by the misuse of AI are being urged to make contact with police.

The links below also provide guidance and safety for children with growing technology:

Online safety laws and the Isle of Man

A spokesperson for the Department of Home Affairs told Manx Radio: "The law in the Isle of Man already contains an offence for distributing deepfakes without the person's consent under the Sexual Offences and Obscene Publications act. This would include publication on X.

"The UK Online Safety Act, introduced in 2023, makes companies that operate a wide range of online services legally responsible for keeping people safe online. The UK telecommunications regulator, Ofcom, has also been made the regulator for the Online Safety Act.

"It has been introduced in stages through 2024 and 2025, with full implementation continuing into 2026.

"When the Act was introduced in the UK, a ‘Permissive Extent Clause’ was included that, subject to the approval of Tynwald, could extend the legislation to the Isle of Man.

"In light of the phased introduction in the UK, and the fact that this is one of the first legislation of its kind anywhere in the world, the Isle of Man Government is keeping the UK legislation under review until it has been introduced fully in the UK.

"Following recent reports of the Grok AI chatbot account on X being used to create and share undressed images of people – which may amount to intimate image abuse or pornography – and sexualised images of children that may amount to child sexual abuse material (CSAM) Ofcom has this week announced that it has decided to open a formal investigation to establish whether X has failed to comply with its legal obligations under the Online Safety Act.

"If the investigation finds that a X has broken the law, Ofcom can require X to take specific steps to come into compliance or to remedy harm caused by the breach. Ofcom can also impose fines of up to £18 million or 10% of qualifying worldwide revenue, whichever is greater."

 You can find the full interview with PC Louise Kennaugh via the Manx Radio Newscast below:
 
 

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