Alexandria, VA, United States of America, London, United Kingdom, June 18, 2025 —
The International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (ICMEC), a global, nonprofit leader in child protection, and Umanitek AG, a Swiss-based Artificial Intelligence (AI) company combating harmful content and the risks of artificial intelligence, today announce a collaboration in pursuit of better protection of children online and offline using umanitek’s technology and ICMEC’s global network.
Today, many people are concerned about the non-consensual sharing of their personal images or those of their children. The rise of generative AI, while it unlocks significant advancements, also introduces far greater risks, most significantly to our children, such as the potential for easier sharing of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM). Given the proliferation of generative AI, individuals’ rights are getting more difficult to protect as algorithms use, replicate, and transform online materials without proper oversight or accountability. It is for this reason that ICMEC and umanitek have agreed to join efforts.
As part of the collaboration, organisations interested in enhanced child protection and law enforcement effectiveness will be able to use umanitek’s AI agent, umanitek Guardian. Guardian enables real-time cross-referencing of any content against a decentralised directory of previously labelled content while ensuring data privacy for all parties involved. It achieves this by giving Guardian agent access to the Decentralized Knowledge Graph (DKG), a trusted network for organising data that allows participating organisations to retain ownership and control of their data while also allowing collaboration without any risk of compromising privacy.
Umanitek and ICMEC have a shared commitment to work together to fight against harmful content and the risks of AI by developing and deploying technology that serves the greater good of humanity.
Stephen Kavanagh, ICMEC Secretary General, commented:
“Child protection is a shared and global responsibility. Over the last two decades, ICMEC has been committed to empowering the global community with the tools, training, and technology to create a safer world for children. With the internet’s rapid rate of evolution and the increase in reliance on artificial intelligence, we must work together as NGOs, governments, private businesses, and law enforcement to use technology for good and to support efforts like this collaboration of ICMEC with umanitek.”
Chris Rynning, umanitek Chairman, commented:
“The scale of the AI challenge demands urgency and collective action. This is too big to go at it alone. That’s why we’re committed to working with those who share our belief that ethical AI must prioritise public safety. Our collaboration with ICMEC will seek to identify gaps in technology that currently exist and aims to fill these gaps with innovative technologies in an effort to protect children from harm both online and offline. In ICMEC, we have found a partner that is focused on tech-for-good. I’m especially grateful to Stephen Kavanagh and the team at ICMEC. With over 30 years in law enforcement and INTERPOL, Stephen has led global efforts against organized crime, cybercrime, and child exploitation. In the end, it’s the people – dedicated, experienced, and mission-driven – who will make the internet safer for all.”