AI-generated child sexual abuse material surged 14% in 2025
The Internet Watch Foundation identified 8,029 pieces of AI-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in 2025, representing a 14% increase year-over-year and a 260-fold surge in realistic videos. Over 65% of AI-generated videos depicted the most extreme forms of abuse, compared to 43% of non-AI material, suggesting offenders use AI tools to create more violent content.
What happened
The Internet Watch Foundation identified 8,029 pieces of AI-generated child sexual abuse material in 2025, with a 260-fold increase in realistic videos compared to the previous year.
Researchers observed dark web discussions where offenders trade and develop custom AI models to generate abusive material, with some advertisements offering courses on creating AI-generated sexual imagery of minors.
Of the 3,443 AI-generated videos identified, 65% depicted the most severe forms of abuse, compared to 43% of non-AI-generated content in the highest-severity category under UK law.
Reported impact
The IWF stated that single AI applications can generate abusive imagery with minimal effort, significantly lowering barriers to entry for offenders who previously required technical expertise.
The watchdog warned that the technology can generate 'infinite violations with unprecedented ease' and that investigators face growing difficulty distinguishing synthetic content from real photographs.
Index analysis
The IWF noted that perpetrators are using AI tools to create more explicit, extreme and complex content than non-AI material, with 65% of AI videos in the most severe category compared to 43% for traditional content.
Governance controls
The UK government authorized designated AI companies and child safety organizations to test whether AI tools can produce CSAM and ensure models have safeguards to prevent creation of such material.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.