AI-Generated Child Sexual Abuse Material Hits Alarming Peak 

In the UK, the fight for online safety has entered a deeply troubling new phase. According to the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), in the first half of 2025, the number of AI-generated videos depicting child sexual abuse (CSAM) soared to 1,286 verified illegal videos — including over 1,000 categorised as the most severe (Category A).

That’s compared to just two such videos in the same period last year. The Guardian
The IWF notes that many of these videos are near-indistinguishable from real footage — generated via publicly available AI models repurposed for exploitation by paedophiles. Some even contain known real-world victims, making the content especially pernicious.

With the rapid advances in generative AI, this isn’t just a technological challenge—it’s a safeguarding crisis. The UK government has responded by introducing legal changes to criminalise even the possession or creation of AI tools designed for CSAM generation, with penalties reaching up to five years in prison. The Guardian

For schools, parents and community leaders, the implications are stark: the “digital playground” is changing fast, and the tools kids (and predators) are using aren’t the ones you learned about five years ago. It places even greater importance on education, awareness and proactive controls rather than purely reactive responses.

Key implications: 

• Awareness-raising for staff and parents must include AI threats, not just “internet strangers”.

• Audit your online provision: what platforms, apps, or file-sharing tools might children access, and how do you monitor those?

• Ensure your online safety curriculum includes not only “don’t talk to strangers” but “understand how content can be manipulated and faked”.
   As digital business leaders and educational leads, we must stay ahead of these shifts—not simply adapt when the fire is burning.