Industry experts say that defeating this network requires looking beyond algorithms to stronger human oversight and industry-wide collaboration.
Context, not content, is AI’s biggest challenge
Shubham Rangadal, founder of BlockP, an AI-powered platform for blocking adult content, said, “The biggest challenge is no longer identifying explicit content in isolation. AI has become increasingly capable at that. The real blind spots lie in contextual interpretation and cross-platform coordination.”
He explained that bad actors constantly change their tactics by using coded language, emojis, cropped or altered images, screenshots, and seemingly harmless links that collectively facilitate illegal activity.
“AI can identify images, videos, or text, but it still struggles to fully understand the meaning behind them. In countries like India, where people mix languages, use slang, and communicate in different cultural contexts, this becomes even harder,” said Rishabh Sagar, co-Founder and CEO of CRAON, an AI-powered editing platform.
Other blind spots in AI moderation
Experts identify several areas where AI still faces significant challenges:
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Multilingual communication: Regional languages, mixed-language conversations, slang, and evolving online terminology make harmful content harder to identify consistently -
Cross-platform activity: Offenders frequently move between multiple apps and services, while moderation systems usually monitor only their own platforms -
Evolving tactics: Cropped images, screenshots, coded phrases, and emojis continue to help offenders avoid automated detection
AI needs human judgement
“AI should be viewed as the first layer of defence rather than the final decision-maker,” Rangadal said.
He explained that AI is highly effective at flagging suspicious behaviour and prioritising high-risk cases, but child sexual abuse investigations require contextual understanding, legal judgement, and an exceptionally high level of accuracy.
“The most effective approach is a human-in-the-loop model, where AI handles scale and speed while trained experts provide judgement on sensitive cases.”
Rangadal also highlighted the importance of parental involvement in online safety. He pointed to features such as ‘Accountability Partner’, now available in some digital safety apps, which notify a trusted adult if inappropriate material is accessed. According to him, such tools can help reduce children’s exposure to harmful content while encouraging responsible digital habits.
Building safer platforms from the start
Experts believe improving detection rates will require advances in technology alongside stronger accountability.
One important concept is safety-by-design, which means online safety features are built into products from the earliest stages of development rather than being introduced after problems emerge. This includes designing systems that proactively identify risky behaviour, restrict abuse pathways, and make harmful activity more difficult from the outset.
Rangadal also highlighted the growing role of multimodal AI, which analyses text, images, videos, metadata, and behavioural signals together instead of examining each type of content separately. This provides a more complete picture and improves detection accuracy.
Another important tool, experts mention, is hash-sharing databases. These contain unique digital fingerprints, or “hashes”, of previously identified illegal content. When platforms share these databases, they can automatically detect and block known CSAM from being uploaded again, even if it is shared by different users.
“Independent audits and transparent reporting can help ensure that platforms continuously improve their moderation systems rather than simply reporting takedown numbers,” Rangadal said.
What should India do next?
The recent incident also offers important lessons for regulators and technology companies. According to Rangadal, online safety cannot remain a reactive compliance exercise as AI-generated content and increasingly sophisticated evasion techniques continue to evolve.
He said regulators should establish clear accountability standards, encourage greater transparency around moderation practices, and promote collaboration between platforms, researchers, and law enforcement.
He explained that success should not be measured only by how quickly harmful content is removed but by how effectively platforms prevent it from reaching users in the first place.
“Protecting children online is a shared responsibility; governments, technology companies, and the wider industry all need to work together,” added Sagar.
As AI continues to evolve, so will the methods used by those seeking to evade it. Experts believe that while better algorithms will certainly help, lasting progress will depend on combining intelligent technology with skilled human oversight, stronger regulation, and industry-wide cooperation.
