Pakistan launches AI tool to catch child predators online

NCCIA unveils 'Katalyst', an AI system aimed at combatting online child abuse, in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan’s National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency has launched an AI-enabled investigative tool aimed at strengthening the country’s ability to detect, prioritise and investigate online child sexual exploitation and abuse.

The system, named Katalyst, was developed through a partnership between the Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control and the UK-Pakistan Serious Crime and Law Enforcement (UPSCALE) Programme, funded by the British High Commission, and was formally launched at an event in Islamabad.

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Pakistan’s Minister of State for Interior and Narcotics Control, Talal Chaudhry, British High Commissioner Jane Marriott, and National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) Director General Syed Khurram Ali, attended the launch.

Chaudhry said protecting children from online exploitation was a “national responsibility”, adding that the use of artificial intelligence reflected Pakistan’s commitment to modernising law enforcement and bringing perpetrators to justice. He also reiterated the government’s pledge to build NCCIA capacity, saying policy and institutional reforms must keep pace with technological change.

The Chairperson of the National Commission on the Rights of the Child (NCRC), Ayesha Raza Farooq, urged a “whole-of-government” approach, pointing to the commission’s work with social media platforms, public awareness campaigns and efforts towards a broader national policy to tackle online child sexual exploitation and abuse.

NCCIA’s Director General said protecting children from online harm was a core priority for the agency, and said the introduction of AI would significantly increase the agency’s ability to review referrals from the US-based National Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), from around 1,200 to more than 100,000 per month.

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Commissioner Marriott said online child abuse was a global challenge that crossed borders, describing child protection as a core UK priority at home and overseas. She said Katalyst showed how AI could be “used for good”, adding that the UK would continue working closely with Pakistan to disrupt criminal networks and make the digital world safer for children.