AI-generated CSAM may be protected under the First Amendment since real children are not used to create the images and, the overwhelming task of monitoring and tagging these images. This is a monstrous job that falls squarely on the shoulders of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).

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It didn’t matter if the images were AI-generated or not—the result was the same. Viewing the images made the viewer more likely to seek out children in person to abuse. These images are easily available, and younger people are exposed to the harm that they can cause.