About the Talk:

Thorn is a nonprofit organization that transforms the way children are protected from sexual abuse and exploitation in the digital age. As kids spend more of their lives online, keeping them safe in online spaces matters more than ever. In this OpenAI Forum conversation, Thorn CEO Julie Cordua will share how AI is being used to detect and prioritize harmful content, support investigators in identifying victims faster, and inform safer online experiences for children.. We’ll also discuss how partners like OpenAI are working with Thorn to support this critical mission.

About the Speakers:

Julie Cordua

Julie Cordua is CEO of Thorn, a nonprofit that builds technology to defend children from sexual abuse.

Since Julie joined the organization over a decade ago, Thorn has become a pivotal force in creating safer online environments for children, developing tools and solutions for digital platforms to help them prevent and address child sexual abuse and exploitation, and implementing solutions for law enforcement that have led to the identification and rescue of thousands of child victims on a global scale.\

Thorn is a leader in tackling emerging threats such as the rise of financial sextortion, the misuse of generative AI for creating and distributing child sexual abuse material and facilitating online grooming, and other modern and evolving threats against children in the digital age.

Julie has fostered Thorn's collaborative, ecosystem-wide approach, partnering with tech companies, law enforcement, parents, youth, policymakers, and other entities to develop innovative solutions to these challenges.

Before leading Thorn, Julie served as VP of Marketing/Communications at (RED) and helped establish the brand as one of the most successful cause marketing initiatives in history, working with a team to deliver more than $160 million to fight AIDS in Africa. Prior to joining (RED), she spent nearly a decade in the wireless industry. Julie holds a B.A. in Communications from UCLA and an M.B.A. from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management.

Chelsea Carlson

Chelsea Carlson leads Child Safety Investigations at OpenAI, where she leads global efforts to prevent and detect child sexual exploitation across OpenAI's products. She oversees the development of advanced detection pipelines and threat investigations programs, while partnering with governments, NGOs, and industry peers to strengthen international safety standards. Chelsea regularly briefs policymakers, law enforcement, and technology leaders globally on emerging risks and solutions at the intersection of AI and child protection.