Step forward to combat child exploitation worldwide

Artificial intelligence has the potential to exacerbate the risk of harm to kids. (Joe Castro/AAP PHOTOS)

A joint international plan to tackle child sexual exploitation has taken another step forward.

Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus and US Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas have convened the inaugural meeting of a joint council to tackle the issue.

Canberra and Washington are working together to combat the impact of the increasing speed and scale of technology such as artificial intelligence on online child exploitation and abuse.

The emerging technology has the potential to exacerbate the risk of harm to kids, including through the generation of realistic images and content.

The attorney-general and secretary reaffirmed their dedication to developing a joint plan to inform how each nation can strengthen cross-border responses to the crime and raise awareness about the issue.

Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said there was a responsibility to protect vulnerable children.

Mr Dreyfus said there was a responsibility to protect society's most vulnerable people.

"Online child sexual exploitation and abuse has a devastating impact on victims and survivors," he said on Sunday.

"Every child and young person has the right to be safe from child sexual abuse wherever they are, and it is our collective responsibility to protect them."

Mr Mayorkas said the crime was on the rise around the world and needed to be a priority for law enforcement.

Perpetrators needed to be held accountable as new technology made it harder for authorities to detect whether an image was real or fake, which in turn made it more difficult to identify and save real victims, he said.

"All of this makes it imperative that we take a whole-of-government approach to tackling this scourge, and to work with our allies across the globe," he said.

"One of those great partners is the government of Australia, which has prioritised identifying and saving victims of online child exploitation and abuse and bringing the perpetrators to justice."

The joint council first met on November 16 after being agreed to by the nation's respective leaders in May.

It brings together policymakers and law enforcement agencies to boost collaboration, including through joint operations.