The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) has reported a dramatic 154% increase in reports of AI-generated child sexual abuse imagery (CSAM) in 2025 compared to the previous year. The charity received 491 reports containing realistic AI-generated CSAM in 2025, up from 193 in 2024.
New Forms of AI-Generated Abuse
In its annual report released on Thursday, the IWF highlighted that AI CSAM has evolved into "new forms," including appearances on AI companion sites and advertisements on mainstream social media platforms. Video content is particularly concerning, with analysts identifying 3,443 AI-generated child sexual abuse videos in 2025—a 260-fold increase from just 13 in 2024.
These videos are increasingly created using text prompts, images, and nudifying bots, leveraging new technologies to produce realistic abusive content rapidly.
Severity of AI-Generated Content
The report noted that AI-generated imagery is more likely to be classified as Category A—the most serious category—compared to non-AI imagery. However, the majority (47%) of AI-generated images deemed criminal over the past two years fell under Category C.
"AI-generated child sexual abuse material represents a significant and evolving risk, as advances in technology make it easier to produce realistic and harmful content at scale," the foundation stated. "Such imagery can contribute to the ongoing exploitation of children, cause lasting harm to victims, and place increasing pressure on safeguarding, legal and regulatory systems. Imagery can be found on both the clear web and dark web."
Harm to Real Victims
The IWF emphasised that AI abuse images often use real victims of abuse, causing "profound and enduring" harm to those depicted. "The harm caused by AI-driven sexual imagery of children is compounded by the ways in which this content is created," the report added. "It often draws on real children’s faces or bodies, either directly within the images or indirectly through the data used to train AI systems. Highly realistic material can be generated by modifying existing child sexual abuse content or by using simple prompts to create new abusive imagery within seconds, enabling rapid and large-scale production."
Criticism of Current Legislation
The Online Safety Act, which came into force in March last year, requires social media companies to find and remove CSAM. However, critics argue it does not go far enough. Ian Russell, whose daughter Molly took her own life at age 14 in 2017 after viewing harmful content on social media, said the Act "should have been a watershed moment" but that children and families have been let down by a "lack of ambition."
The UK government has announced plans to allow designated authorities to test and scrutinise AI models to prevent them from generating child sexual abuse imagery. However, the IWF called on tech companies to ensure safety is built into their products from the design stage. "While a welcomed step, there is no legal requirement for companies to conduct or share pre-deployment safety testing of AI systems," the IWF said. "We continue to call on companies to make sure the products they build and make available to the global public are safe by design."
Government Response
A government spokesperson responded: "We thank the Internet Watch Foundation for their vital work. UK law is clear—creating, possessing or distributing child sexual abuse material is illegal, including AI-generated content, and platforms must proactively identify and remove it under the Online Safety Act. We're going further—making it illegal to possess, create or distribute AI tools designed to generate this content, and to possess AI 'paedophile manuals' teaching others how to use AI to abuse children. We will use every power available to hunt down perpetrators, shut these networks down, and protect every child."
If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch. If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org to access online chat from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.
