NCCIA unveils ‘Katalyst’, an AI system aimed at combating online child abuse, in Islamabad
Home Affairs and Narcotics Control Minister, British High Commissioner to Pakistan Jane Marriott and NCCIA Director General are pictured here with an award at the ceremony. PHOTO: EXPRESS
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan’s National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency has launched an AI-enabled investigative tool that aims to strengthen the country’s ability to detect, prioritize and investigate child sexual exploitation and abuse online.
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 (UPSCALE) programme, funded by the UK High Commission, and was formally launched at an event in Islamabad.
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Pakistan’s Minister of State for Interior and Narcotics Control, Talal Chaudhry, British High Commissioner Jane Marriott and National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) Director General 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 modernize law enforcement and bring perpetrators to justice. He also reiterated the government’s pledge to build NCCIA capacity, saying policy and institutional reforms must keep pace with technological change.
The Chairperson of the National Commission on Child Rights (NCRC), Ayesha Raza Farooq, called for a “whole of government” approach, pointing to the commission’s work on social media platforms, public awareness campaigns and efforts towards a broader national policy to tackle the sexual exploitation and abuse of children online.
The NCCIA director general said protecting children from online harm was a core priority for the agency, and said the introduction of artificial intelligence would significantly increase the agency’s ability to review referrals from the US-based National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) from about 1,200 to more than 100,000 a 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 priority for the UK at home and abroad. She said Katalyst showed how artificial intelligence could be “used for good”, adding that the UK will continue to work closely with Pakistan to disrupt criminal networks and make the digital world safer for children.
