Reports of child sexual abuse imagery created using artificial intelligence tools have surged 400% in the first half of 2025, according to new data from the U.K.-based nonprofit organization Internet Watch Foundation.
The organization, which monitors child sexual abuse material online, recorded 210 webpages containing AI-generated material in the first six months of 2025, up from 42 in the same period the year before, according to a report published this week. On those pages were 1,286 videos, up from just two in 2024. The majority of this content was so realistic it had to be treated under U.K. law as if it were actual footage, the IWF said.
Roughly 78% of the videos — 1,006 in total — were classified as "Category A,” the most severe level, which can include depictions of rape, sexual torture and bestiality, the IWF said. Most of the videos involved girls and in some cases used the likenesses of real children.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.