Investigating emerging crimes based on artificial intelligence and strategies for their prevention, focusing on crimes committed by children and adolescents

Extended Abstract



The pervasive advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies has significantly reshaped societal, economic, and legal frameworks. While offering benefits such as enhanced efficiency and automation, AI has also precipitated novel forms of criminal activity that challenge established legal norms and enforcement capabilities. These emerging AI-based crimes are characterized by their technical sophistication, adaptability, global reach, and potential for substantial harm, posing particular risks to vulnerable populations, especially children and adolescents. This article undertakes an examination of emergent AI-related offenses and their attendant legal, technical, and ethical challenges, with a specific emphasis on crimes affecting minors. Concurrently, it assesses the readiness of Iran's legal system to effectively address and prevent such criminal conduct.

Employing a descriptive-analytical research methodology grounded in extensive literature review, this study also incorporates a comparative analysis. This involves scrutinizing relevant international legal instruments and examining the legal experiences of selected foreign jurisdictions. Such a comparative lens is crucial for a nuanced evaluation of the adequacy of Iranian law in confronting AI-enabled criminal behaviors and for identifying specific areas ripe for legislative reform.The research has identified that AI-related criminal activities manifest in diverse forms. These include, but are not limited to, the generation and propagation of deepfake content, cyberattacks orchestrated or augmented by AI, unauthorized processing and exploitation of sensitive personal data, discriminatory outcomes stemming from algorithmic decision-making, sophisticated identity theft facilitated by AI, and the automated creation of deceptive or harmful digital content. Deepfake technology, in particular, stands out as a significant concern due to its capacity to generate highly realistic yet fabricated audio-visual materials. Such content can be weaponized for purposes of harassment, defamation, extortion, manipulation, and sexual exploitation