New research has provided the first population-level estimate of how often artificial intelligence is involved in the online sexual victimisation of Australian children, prompting calls for a faster and more coordinated national response.
The study, conducted in early 2026 by the Australian Cybercrime Observatory, surveyed 1,894 Australians aged 16 to 18. It found that at least one in 25 Australians has either experienced, or has a close friend who has experienced, online sexual victimisation involving AI before turning 18. The report says this equates to at least one young person in every Australian Year 12 classroom.
The findings were released as ICMEC Australia prepares to convene the SaferAI for Children Coalition in Sydney on Wednesday 8 July 2026. The coalition brings together around 25 organisations across technology, law enforcement, civil society and research to develop practical child safety reforms in response to AI-related harms.
The research found that AI was involved in more than one in four cases of non-consensual sharing of sexual images, at 26 per cent. It also revealed a gendered shift in victimisation patterns. While girls continue to experience higher overall rates of online sexual victimisation, boys are significantly more likely to be targeted when AI is involved, with AI linked to 26.6 per cent of boys’ victimisation compared with 9 per cent of girls’.
A key concern is how young people seek help. The study found that children are now more likely to disclose online sexual victimisation to an AI chatbot than to an authority figure or formal support service. Some 18.7 per cent told an AI, compared with 13.2 per cent who told a teacher, doctor, counsellor, police officer or helpline. More than a third of victims told no person at all, either disclosing only to AI or to no one.
Associate Professor Tim Cubitt from Adelaide University described this as a “seismic shift” in how young people experience and seek help for online sexual victimisation. He said AI involvement in abuse was “worryingly common” and warned that services, governments and technology companies must adapt quickly to protect children.
ICMEC Australia chief executive Colm Gannon said the findings confirmed that AI is no longer an emerging risk but a present reality in children’s lives. He said recent reforms, including the social media minimum age law, a promised Digital Duty of Care and action on AI “nudify” apps, were important but must keep pace with technological change.
The article also notes independent MP Kate Chaney’s role in pushing for reform through her bill to criminalise technologies that generate child sexual abuse material. While Chaney is not quoted directly, her proposed legislation is presented as part of the broader national response to AI-enabled child exploitation.
The research points to three priorities: building reporting pathways that meet children where they already turn, including AI tools; designing prevention strategies for peer networks, as victimisation clusters within friendship groups; and ensuring prevention efforts reach boys, who appear disproportionately affected when AI is involved.