Artificial intelligence has transformed the way people create, communicate, and share information. Unfortunately, some AI companies have rushed powerful technology into the marketplace without implementing adequate safeguards to prevent foreseeable abuse.
Today, AI image generation tools can be manipulated to create sexually explicit, exploitative, or otherwise harmful images involving children and minors. A simple photograph taken from social media, a school website, a school photo, a yearbook, or another source may be enough for a person to use AI tools to generate disturbing and illegal content.
For families, the emotional impact can be devastating.
At Burnett Law Firm, we believe technology companies should be held accountable when they release products without reasonable safety protections. Our firm is representing victims and families affected by AI-generated image abuse while helping lead litigation that seeks to establish meaningful accountability throughout the artificial intelligence industry.
When Innovation Comes Without Guardrails
Artificial intelligence is capable of remarkable things, but powerful technology requires responsible design.
Companies developing generative AI systems know their products can create realistic images, alter existing photographs, and generate entirely fictional content in seconds. They also know these systems can be abused if appropriate protections are not built into the software.
Parents should not bear the burden of protecting their children from products that were released without adequate safety measures. And children should not have to suffer from having their likeness altered into explicit content and published for anyone to see.
Like manufacturers of any other consumer product, AI companies have a responsibility to identify foreseeable risks, implement reasonable safeguards, and continually improve their products when dangers become apparent. When they fail to do so, innocent families can suffer life-changing consequences.
How Easily AI-Generated Images Can Be Created
In today’s digital world, a massive amount of information is available online. Millions of parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, or family friends think nothing of posting a photo to their Facebook or Instagram page. Schools, summer camps, and sports leagues now have their own social media profiles and websites, and often share images of activities and games.
Many parents are shocked to learn how easily AI-generated images can be created. Images may be generated using:
- School photographs
- Social media pictures
- Family photos shared online
- Sports team photographs
- Camp photographs
- Publicly available images
- Other photographs obtained without permission
These images are downloaded and fed through AI image generation software to create explicit, graphic images featuring the minors’ faces and likeness.
Even though the image is entirely computer-generated and completely fake, the emotional and psychological harm to a child and his or her family can be profound.
Victims may experience:
- Anxiety and depression
- Fear of attending school
- Social isolation
- Bullying or harassment
- Damage to personal reputation
- Emotional trauma
- Long-term psychological effects
Parents often feel overwhelmed after discovering images involving their child exist online. Many are unsure where the images originated, how they were created, or whether they can ever be completely removed.
These are understandable concerns, and no family should have to navigate them alone. This is where Burnett Law Firm comes in.
This Is More Than a Criminal Issue
People often assume these situations are solely criminal matters.
While criminal investigations may be appropriate against the individuals who create or distribute illegal material, there is another important question:
Should companies that created and released unsafe AI products also be held accountable?
Our law firm believes the answer is yes.
Just as manufacturers can be held responsible for defective products that cause injury, AI developers may also bear responsibility when they release products that lack reasonable safeguards against foreseeable misuse.
Our litigation focuses on the companies that designed, developed, marketed, and deployed these technologies without providing appropriate safeguards. Holding these companies accountable can help drive meaningful changes that make AI technology safer for everyone.
National Leadership in Emerging AI Litigation
Artificial intelligence litigation is one of the newest and most rapidly evolving areas of American law. Successfully pursuing these cases requires experience handling complex litigation against some of the world’s largest corporations.
Riley Burnett is helping lead national litigation involving AI-generated image abuse and products liability claims against major technology companies. Working alongside prestigious lawyers across the country, he is actively involved in cases seeking accountability for AI products that allegedly failed to incorporate adequate safeguards designed to protect children from blatant exploitation.
These efforts build upon the firm’s experience handling complex, high-stakes litigation on behalf of individuals harmed by defective products and corporate misconduct. Burnett Law Firm has worked in leadership roles in significant national litigation, including major mass torts involving defective consumer products and pharmaceuticals.
That experience provides valuable insight into the unique challenges of large-scale litigation, including coordinating investigations, working with experts, and advocating for victims whose cases may ultimately shape the future of an entire industry.
Why These Cases Matter
Artificial intelligence is advancing at an extraordinary pace. Unfortunately, the laws governing these technologies have not kept up.
Many of today’s legal standards were written long before generative AI existed. Legislatures, regulators, and courts are now grappling with questions that would have been unimaginable just a few years ago. As a result, families affected by AI-generated image abuse often find themselves navigating an area of law that is still developing.
That does not mean AI companies are beyond accountability.
Throughout history, the legal system has adapted to new technologies: from automobiles and pharmaceuticals to social media and consumer products. Courts have long recognized that companies introducing powerful new products into the marketplace have a responsibility to consider foreseeable risks and take reasonable steps to protect the public.
Artificial intelligence should be no different.
When companies release AI systems capable of generating illegal or exploitative images without implementing adequate safeguards, they should be prepared to answer for the consequences. Innovation should never come at the expense of child safety.
These cases are about more than seeking justice for individual families. They are about helping establish the legal standards that will govern artificial intelligence for years to come. The decisions made today have the potential to influence how AI companies design their products, what safety measures become industry standards, and how future generations of children are protected from preventable harm.
By pursuing these claims, Burnett Law Firm is working to help close the gap between rapidly advancing technology and the legal protections families deserve.
What Should Parents Do If Their Child Has Been Affected?
If you believe your child has been the victim of AI-generated image abuse, taking prompt action may help protect both your child and any future legal rights.
Consider:
- Preserving screenshots and other evidence
- Documenting when and where the content was discovered
- Avoiding further sharing of the images
- Reporting the content to the platform where it appears
- Contacting appropriate law enforcement
- Speaking with an attorney experienced in AI-related litigation
Every situation is different, and determining the best course of action depends on the specific facts of your family’s circumstances. That’s why speaking with an attorney as early as possible is so important.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone create an AI image of my child without permission?
Unfortunately, yes. Many generative AI platforms can create realistic images using existing photographs or publicly available images found online. Depending on the technology involved, someone may only need a single image from social media, a school website, a yearbook, or another online source to create entirely new content.
Most parents are understandably shocked to learn how accessible these tools have become. While AI technology has many legitimate uses, it can also be misused in ways that invade a child’s privacy and cause significant emotional harm.
If you believe your child’s image has been used without permission, it is important to preserve any available evidence and speak with an attorney before taking additional steps.
Does the image have to be real for my child to suffer harm?
No. The emotional and psychological effects can be very real, even if the image itself was created entirely by artificial intelligence.
Children who become victims of AI-generated image abuse may experience embarrassment, anxiety, depression, social isolation, bullying, or fear that the images will continue to circulate online. Families often feel powerless knowing that content can spread quickly across the internet and may be difficult to remove completely.
The law increasingly recognizes that serious emotional harm can occur even when an image is fabricated. Every case is different, but the fact that an image was AI-generated does not mean the harm is any less legally significant.
Can AI companies be held responsible?
That is one of the central legal questions our lawsuits hope to answer.
While individuals who misuse AI tools may face criminal or civil consequences, companies that develop and release these technologies may also have legal responsibilities. When a company places a powerful product into the marketplace, it has a legal duty to consider foreseeable risks and take reasonable steps to reduce preventable harm.
Our litigation examines whether AI companies failed to implement appropriate safeguards, warnings, or other protective measures before making these products available to the public. Although this area of law is still developing, courts have long held manufacturers accountable when unsafe products cause injury.
We believe AI technology should be held to the same standard.
My child wasn’t physically harmed. Can we still have a legal claim?
Physical injury is not required in every civil case.
Depending on the facts, victims and their families may have legal claims that allow them to seek compensation for emotional harm, therapy and counseling expenses, and other losses recognized under the law. Every situation is unique and depends on numerous factors, including how the image was created, how it was distributed, and the impact it has had on the child and family.
The best way to understand your legal options is to speak with an attorney who is familiar with this emerging area of litigation.
Will my child’s identity remain private?
Protecting the privacy of children is a top priority in these cases. Courts often have procedures that allow minors’ identities to be protected through the use of initials, sealed filings, or other confidentiality measures when appropriate. While every case is different, Burnett Law Firm works closely with families to help safeguard their privacy throughout the legal process whenever possible.
Speak With Burnett Law Firm
No parent expects to face the reality of AI-generated exploitation involving their child.
When it happens, families deserve answers, guidance, and advocates who understand both the emerging technology and the legal issues surrounding it.
Burnett Law Firm is committed to helping families pursue accountability against companies that failed to implement reasonable safeguards before placing powerful AI technology into the hands of the public.
If your child has been affected by AI-generated image abuse, contact Burnett Law Firm to discuss your situation in a confidential consultation. We believe children should be protected, and our team is actively investigating these cases to help shape the future of AI accountability litigation.