A local criminologist says the online world, and the increased use of Artificial Intelligence is exposing users, and young people in particular to a whole new set of potential harms and consequences.

Memorial University researcher Dr. Adrienne Peters was responding to dozens of charges laid against a 17-year-old boy for the alleged alteration of photographs using AI to generate sexually explicit material.

The teen is charged with 19 counts each of making, possessing and distributing child sexual abuse and exploitation material after police received complaints from a number of teenage girls back in January.

Peters says with each new form of technology and online interaction, comes a whole new set of potential harms.

She says people may not realize how much of an impact what interacting in those online environments might be having, “there’s almost a removal from” the potential consequences.