NCCIA launches ‘Katalyst’, an artificial intelligence system aimed at combating online child abuse, in Islamabad
Minister of State for Home Affairs and Narcotics Control, British High Commissioner to Pakistan Jane Marriott and the Director General of the NCCIA appear here with an award at the ceremony. PHOTO: EXPRESS
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan’s National Cybercrime Investigation Agency has launched an artificial intelligence-based investigation tool aimed at strengthening the country’s capacity to detect, prioritize and investigate online child sexual exploitation and abuse.
The system, called Katalyst, was developed through a partnership between the Home Office and Narcotics Control and the UK-Pakistan Serious Crime and Law Enforcement Program (UPSCALE), 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 Home Affairs and Narcotics Control Talal Chaudhry, British High Commissioner Jane Marriott and Director General of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) 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 modernizing law enforcement and bringing perpetrators to justice. He also reiterated the government’s commitment to building the capacity of the NCCIA, saying that policy and institutional reforms must keep pace with technological change.
National Child Rights Commission (CNRC) chairperson Ayesha Raza Farooq urged a “whole of government” approach, highlighting the commission’s work with social media platforms, public awareness campaigns and efforts towards a broader national policy to address online child sexual exploitation and abuse.
The NCCIA Director General said protecting children from online harm was a key 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 Center for Missing and 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, and described child protection as a core UK priority at home and abroad. He said Katalyst showed how AI could “be used for good”, adding that the UK would continue to work closely with Pakistan to disrupt criminal networks and make the digital world safer for children.
