What To Know
- Innovation is also being encouraged, including child-specific SIM cards with built-in content filters and a new Ethical Digital and AI Governance for Education framework that embeds “Safety by Design” from the earliest stages of technology development.
- For the latest on AI posing a threat to Thai society, keep on logging to Thailand AI News.
Thailand AI News: Thailand has elevated online child protection to the level of a national agenda as concerns mount over the rapid rise of artificial intelligence–generated deepfakes targeting minors. The renewed urgency coincided with Safer Internet Day 2026, when government agencies, civil society groups, and international organizations warned that AI tools are increasingly being abused to create exploitative images, videos, and audio that are difficult to trace or detect.
New global data has sharpened the sense of alarm. According to international monitoring networks, an estimated 93 percent of known child sexual abuse material worldwide involves children between the ages of three and thirteen. The growing use of AI has made such content more realistic, more scalable, and far harder for platforms and law enforcement to identify before harm is done.
Image Credit: Thailand AI News
National Agenda on Digital Safety
Speaking in Bangkok on 9 February, senior officials from the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society said Thailand could no longer treat online threats as isolated cybercrimes. Acting Sub Lieutenant Thanasit Eiamananchai, Deputy Permanent Secretary, outlined a five-pillar cybersecurity strategy aimed at protecting citizens, particularly children, from emerging digital dangers. This Thailand AI News report notes that authorities now see AI misuse as a societal risk, not just a technical one.
Key measures include real-time monitoring of suspicious online activity through the AOC 1441 centre, faster suspension of fraudulent digital transactions, stronger enforcement of the Personal Data Protection Act, and the introduction of clearer AI governance frameworks across both public and private sectors.
Alarming Global and Local Signals
Dr Pongthep Wongwatcharapaiboon, fund manager at the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth), cited figures from INHOPE, a global network operating hotlines in 57 countries. In 2024 alone, the organization received more than 2.5 million reports linked to suspected child abuse material. Many cases now involve AI-generated or AI-altered content that never existed in the real world, yet causes real psychological and social damage.
Image Credit: Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth)
Within Thailand, authorities have also seen AI abused to impersonate doctors, fabricate business identities, manipulate voices, and digitally alter images to blackmail victims. These trends mirror findings from the 2024 Global Risk Report, which ranked AI-driven misinformation and disinformation as the top global risk over the next decade.
Building Digital Immunity
In response, ThaiHealth announced a multi-dimensional strategy focused on prevention as much as enforcement. Legal reforms are being developed with academics to modernize laws for the AI era. Media literacy programmes are being expanded to help young people recognize manipulation, misinformation, and digital coercion. Innovation is also being encouraged, including child-specific SIM cards with built-in content filters and a new Ethical Digital and AI Governance for Education framework that embeds “Safety by Design” from the earliest stages of technology development.
The broader message from Safer Internet Day 2026 was clear. Protecting children in an AI-driven world will require cooperation across government, industry, schools, families, and international partners. Enforcement alone is not enough; awareness, ethics, and proactive design must move just as quickly as the technology itself. Without sustained action, the digital space risks becoming more hostile for the youngest and most vulnerable users, undermining trust in innovation and society alike.
For the latest on AI posing a threat to Thai society, keep on logging to Thailand AI News.
