The police are investigating an alleged rape in the metaverse for the first time after a child was “attacked” while playing a virtual reality video game, it emerged last night.
The girl, who is under the age of 16, was not injured as there was no physical assault but is said to have suffered significant psychological and emotional trauma. She had been wearing an immersive headset while in a virtual “room” when she was attacked by several adult men, according to the Daily Mail.
Details of the virtual reality case are said to have been kept secret to protect the child involved, amid fears that a prosecution would not be possible. A senior officer familiar with the case said: “This child experienced psychological trauma similar to that of someone who has been physically raped. There is an emotional and psychological impact on the victim that is longer term than any physical injuries. It poses a number of challenges for law enforcement, given [that] current legislation is not set up for this.”
Donna Jones, the chairwoman of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, told the newspaper that women and children deserved greater protection. She said: “We need to update our laws because they have not kept pace with the risks of harm that are developing from artificial intelligence and offending on platforms like the metaverse. The government needs to look at changing the law to protect women and children from harm in these virtual environments.”
The police believe that developments in gaming have opened up new avenues for cybercrime, including virtual robbery, ransomware, fraud and identity theft, but existing legislation is unlikely to cover rape in the metaverse. This is because sexual assault is defined in the Sexual Offences Act as the physical touching of another person sexually without their consent.
The nature of the metaverse also blurs geographical boundaries, making it difficult to determine which law enforcement agency has jurisdiction over an incident when users and perpetrators are in different countries.
A whole new can of worms in alternate realities is opened up …
Why is she talking about artificial intelligence? I didn’t read the article but from the quote it looks like virtual reality actions. VR has been going on for a long time. I’m surprised that this article makes it sound like a new thing.
The concept of the metaverse, a virtual world where users can interact with each other and digital objects in a three-dimensional space, has been around for decades. However, the emergence of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (VR) has breathed new life into the concept and made it a hot topic of discussion.
One of the most significant impacts that AI will have on the metaverse is the creation of more realistic and dynamic virtual environments. Traditional virtual worlds have been limited in their interactivity and often feel static. With AI-powered systems, virtual environments can become more responsive and interactive, allowing for more engaging and immersive experiences. For example, AI can be used to create realistic physics simulations that enable objects to interact with each other in a natural and believable way. Additionally, AI can be used to generate more complex and detailed environments, creating a richer and more immersive experience for users.
Another key area where AI will play a significant role in the metaverse is e creation of intelligent **NPCs (non-playable characters). NPCs are virtual characters that populate the virtual world and interact with players. With AI, NPCs can become more sophisticated, capable of responding to player actions in real time and adapting to changing situations. This could lead to more engaging and challenging gameplay, as well as more meaningful social interactions with virtual characters.
AI will also have a transformative effect on content creation in the metaverse. Traditionally, content creation has been a time-consuming and labor-intensive process, requiring skilled designers and programmers to create new assets and environments. However, with AI, some of these tasks can be automated, allowing for faster and more efficient content creation. For example, AI-powered systems can be used to generate new textures, models, and animations, freeing up designers to focus on more creative and innovative aspects of content creation.
