The UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) and Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) have issued urgent guidance for parents to protect children from AI-powered 'nudification' apps that can transform innocent photos into explicit material. The warning follows a 14% rise in AI-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM) detected online last year, with the IWF identifying 8,029 realistic AI-made images and videos in 2025 alone.
How AI Tools Are Being Abused
Two teenage selfies, fully clothed and typical of many online posts, were taken by predators and run through AI imaging tools to create extreme pornography videos. These cases were flagged through the Report Remove service, which allows under-18s to confidentially report explicit images distributed without consent. The NCA warns that offenders are early adopters of AI advancements, exploiting open-source models and nudification apps that are widely available.
Dan Sexton, IWF's chief technology officer, said he feels 'very uncomfortable' telling parents not to post pictures of their children publicly but sees no other option given current protections. 'People use the term safety by design but I am not seeing that here,' he added, calling for legislation requiring AI models to be inherently safe.
Government Action and Ongoing Challenges
The UK government is introducing laws to make it illegal to possess, create, or distribute AI tools designed to generate CSAM. It also plans to give tech companies and child protection agencies powers to test AI tools for abuse potential. However, Sexton noted that distinguishing AI-generated material from real photos is already 'impossible' in some cases, though videos can still be differentiated by analysts. The only definitive way to confirm AI origin is when creators claim credit on the dark web.
Lorna Sinclair, child sexual abuse education manager at the NCA, said many parents are unaware of the danger. 'We are still learning about AI as a society... The reality is that offenders will always be early adopters of technological advances,' she said. The NCA advises parents to limit visibility of family photos by making social media profiles private and sharing only on 'close friends' groups.
The IWF emphasized that the long-term solution cannot be banning photos from public platforms. Instead, they advocate for 'safe by design' AI models, a principle echoed by online safety campaigners. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has been approached for comment.
