AI-generated deepfakes of children surge amid growing accessibility of nudification tools
Reports of AI-generated child sexual abuse material surged dramatically from roughly 4,700 in 2023 to over 440,000 in the first half of 2025, driven by the increasing availability of AI nudification tools associated with Grok. The UK, EU and US have begun investigating and passing legislation to address the issue, including the Senate-passed Defiance Act and the Take It Down Act.
What happened
AI nudification tools associated with Grok have enabled the creation and distribution of sexually explicit deepfake images of children. Reports of AI-generated child sexual abuse material rose from roughly 4,700 in 2023 to over 440,000 in the first half of 2025 alone, according to the National Center on Missing and Exploited Children.
Estimates suggest as many as one in eight children in the United States personally knows someone who has been targeted by a deepfake photo or video, with one in four having seen a sexualized deepfake of someone they recognize.
Reported impact
The proliferation of AI-generated deepfakes has created significant concern among American parents and the public, with 50% expressing concern about increased AI use compared to 10% who are excited about it. Parents report feeling unable to shield their children from such material.
The UK and EU are investigating whether Grok was used to generate sexually explicit deepfake images of women and children without their consent, potentially violating their Online Safety Act.
Index analysis
The surge in reports coincides with the increasing availability and accessibility of AI nudification tools. The dramatic rise from 4,700 reports in 2023 to 440,000 in the first half of 2025 indicates rapid scaling of deepfake generation capabilities.
Governance controls
On January 13, the US Senate unanimously passed the Defiance Act to allow victims of deepfake pornography to sue those who created the images. The Take It Down Act, signed into law by Congress, criminalized sexual deepfakes and requires platforms to remove images within 48 hours, with potential prison time for sharers.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.