Artificial intelligence is not only finding its way into beneficial applications, but it is also becoming an unexpected ally for criminals. From the creation of 3D firearms that are undetectable by scanners to the creation of fake documents, AI is opening up worrying new possibilities. Criminal organizations are incorporating these technologies to design sophisticated fraudulent systems, even facilitating the production of child sexual abuse content through deepfakes. In this technological race between criminals and law enforcement, the fight is intensifying in the face of seemingly limitless threats. The advancement of artificial intelligence has transformed many fields, but it has also opened new doors for the criminal world. Advanced technologies such as 3D printing and deepfakes are harnessing AI to create undetectable weapons, fraudulent documents, and child sexual abuse content. Law enforcement is facing a race against time to contain this threat, which is evolving at an alarming pace.3D Weapons: AI in the Service of Weapon Manufacturing Advances in AI have made it possible to design firearms using 3D printing with greater precision and speed. Thanks to generative AI models, criminals can create sophisticated schematics for more robust weapons made from undetectable polymers. This advancement is changing the fight against arms trafficking, where technological innovation is making the task of authorities increasingly complex. Fake Documents: A New Playing Field for Criminals The falsification of documents, although already present, is exploding thanks to the use of deepfakes and AI technologies. Criminal networks, particularly those involved in illegal immigration, are taking advantage of AI to sell residence permits and identity cards.Digital technologies, leading to a 244% increase in forgeries by 2024. Authorities must now deploy sophisticated methods to detect these fraudulent digital documents. Child Pornography: The Scandalous Exploitation of AI Technologies Advances in AI, particularly in the field of deepfakes, are also having a scandalous impact on the creation of child pornography. Investigators from the National Center for the Analysis of Child Pornographic Images (CNPA) are warning of the rise of AI-generated videos. Such creations do not feature real people, complicating legal proceedings and posing a real challenge to European legislation.Scams and Potential Victim Detection AI is also used in scams, where criminals create generated images to identify unsuspecting victims. Observing interactions with this content allows criminals to target vulnerable individuals. A new challenge for police forces, who must constantly adapt to the speed and ingenuity of these practices.Adaptation of Law Enforcement Faced with these threats, law enforcement agencies such as the National Gendarmerie are mobilizing their own AI-based technologies to effectively combat these crimes. They use advanced software capable of detecting compromising files during searches. However, the battle is far from won and requires rapid and continuous adaptation.
