AI-generated child sexual abuse material has exploded online, with the Internet Watch Foundation reporting a 260-fold increase in such videos over the past year. The UK watchdog identified 8,029 realistic depictions in 2025, up 14% from the previous year, as advances in generative AI make it easier for offenders to create increasingly violent content.

Of more than 3,000 AI-generated videos verified by analysts - compared with just 13 in 2024 - 65% were classified as category A, the most severe legal category under UK law, including rape, sexual torture, and bestiality. This contrasts with 43% of non-AI criminal videos in the same category, suggesting AI is being used to create more extreme material. The trend is intensifying pressure on governments to update online safety laws.

In January, Elon Musk's AI chatbot Grok generated sexualised images of children, leading to threats of fines and bans from EU, UK, and French regulators. The UK government now plans to close legal loopholes by bringing AI chatbots under online safety laws. IWF analysts found offenders discussing using hidden cameras to source footage of real children, which could then be transformed into AI-generated abuse videos.