SYDNEY, Oct 29, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Australian police are working on an AI prototype that will help them decipher Gen Z slang and emoji-laden messages written by online predators, a top official said Wednesday.

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said social media had become a breeding ground for bullying, sexual exploitation and radicalisation.

Police were working with software giant Microsoft to develop a tool that would unravel sinister messages hidden by seemingly innocuous emojis and slang, she said.

"Clever AFP members, with Microsoft, are developing a prototype AI tool that will interpret emojis and Gen Z-and-Alpha slang in encrypted communications.

"This prototype aims to make it quicker for our teams to save children from harm much earlier."

Barrett also warned about the rise of so-called "crimefluencers" -- online predators who used their social media savvy to target young and vulnerable users.

"They are crimefluencers, and they are motivated by anarchy and hurting others, with most of their victims pre-teen or teenage girls," she said.

Australia will from December 10 force social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok to remove users under the age of 16.

There is keen interest in whether Australia's sweeping restrictions can work, as regulators around the globe wrestle with the dangers of social media.