AI-generated child abuse imagery surges 400% in first half of 2025

Reports of AI-generated child sexual abuse imagery have surged 400% in the first half of 2025, according to new data from the Internet Watch Foundation, a UK-based nonprofit that monitors illegal content online. The alarming increase highlights how readily available artificial intelligence tools are being weaponized to create illegal content that is often indistinguishable from real footage, forcing authorities to treat it as actual abuse material under UK law.

The stark numbers: The Internet Watch Foundation recorded 210 webpages containing AI-generated child abuse material in the first six months of 2025, compared to just 42 in the same period the previous year.

• The organization found 1,286 videos on these pages, up dramatically from only two videos in 2024.
• The majority of this AI-generated content was so realistic that it had to be treated under UK law as if it were actual footage of abuse.

Why this matters: The surge demonstrates how readily available AI tools are being weaponized to create illegal content at an unprecedented scale, creating new challenges for law enforcement and child protection agencies.

• The realistic quality of AI-generated abuse material makes it increasingly difficult to distinguish from actual footage, complicating investigations and legal proceedings.
• This trend could potentially overwhelm existing systems designed to detect and remove child abuse content from the internet.

What you should know: The Internet Watch Foundation serves as a critical watchdog organization that monitors child sexual abuse material online and works to have it removed from the internet.

• The organization’s data represents one of the most comprehensive tracking systems for this type of illegal content globally.
• Their findings suggest that AI technology is becoming a significant new vector for creating and distributing child abuse imagery.