The Internet Watch Foundation’s 2026 report examines the rapidly growing use of generative AI to create child sexual abuse material (CSAM). It documents increases in the volume, realism and severity of AI-generated abuse imagery and video, drawing on IWF analysts’ casework and material from offender communities. The report also highlights how easier-to-use AI tools are lowering technical barriers, enabling deepfakes and abusive chatbot scenarios, and potentially re-victimising real children whose images are used to train or generate content. Its central message is that AI-generated CSAM is becoming more accessible and sophisticated, creating new challenges for child protection, detection and enforcement.
The Internet Watch Foundation’s 2026 report examines the rapidly growing use of generative AI to create child sexual abuse material (CSAM). It documents increases in the volume, realism and severity of AI-generated abuse imagery and video, drawing on IWF analysts’ casework and material from offender communities. The report also highlights how easier-to-use AI tools are lowering technical barriers, enabling deepfakes and abusive chatbot scenarios, and potentially re-victimising real children whose images are used to train or generate content. Its central message is that AI-generated CSAM is becoming more accessible and sophisticated, creating new challenges for child protection, detection and enforcement.
- child sexual abuse material (CSAM) artificial intelligence (AI)
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