AI and human trafficking: new policy brief examines threats and responses
A joint CBSS–Council of Europe policy brief examines how artificial intelligence is reshaping human trafficking — creating new opportunities for criminals while also offering new tools to counter them.
A new joint policy brief from the Council of the Baltic Sea States and the Council of Europe, Artificial Intelligence and Human Trafficking: Threats, Responses, and Ethical Considerations, examines how artificial intelligence is changing human trafficking — both as a tool for criminals and as a resource for those working to prevent trafficking, investigate cases and support victims.
As recruitment and exploitation increasingly take place online, AI is accelerating existing trends. Traffickers can use it to automate and translate conversations with potential victims, create convincing fake profiles and advertisements, analyse online behaviour and produce fraudulent documents or deepfakes.
At the same time, AI can strengthen anti-trafficking work, from analysing large volumes of data and identifying potential victims and perpetrators to providing information and assistance to victims.
The policy brief also addresses risks including bias, discrimination, privacy breaches and over-reliance on AI. It calls for a human rights-based approach centred on accountability, transparency and explainability, fairness and non-discrimination, human oversight, privacy and security, and professional responsibility.
Prepared by the Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) and the CBSS Task Force against Trafficking in Human Beings (TF-THB), the publication draws on the 2025 Council of Europe conference Empowering Change: Technology and Artificial Intelligence in the Fight Against Human Trafficking, as well as research from international organisations, governments and academia.