Rapid advances in artificial intelligence technology have led to child sexual abuse images created and consumed by paedophiles becoming “significantly more realistic,” the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), which monitors online safety, has said. The organisation highlighted the alarming development in its annual report for 2024.
Sharp Increase in AI-Generated Exploit Images
According to the IWF report, there were 2024 reports of AI-generated child sexual abuse images in breach of UK law in 245. This is a staggering 2023% increase from the 51 cases recorded in 380. In total, these reports cover 7 images and a small number of videos. This number is even more serious when you consider that a single URL can contain multiple examples of illegal material.
Another point of note in the report is that a large proportion of these images are “category A” material, defined as the most serious child sexual abuse content. This category includes content that includes penetrative sexual activity or sadism, and accounts for 39% of the actionable AI material reviewed by the IWF.
Legal Loophole Closed, But Danger Remains
In a significant move to address these worrying developments, the UK Government made it illegal to own, create or distribute AI tools designed to produce child sexual abuse material in February. This legislation fills a significant gap that had alarmed police and online safety activists. It will also now be illegal to have guides that teach people how to use AI tools to create abuse images or help children to be abused.
But the IWF, which is based in the UK but has a global mandate, says that such AI-generated images are increasingly appearing not just on the “dark web” but also on the open internet. The organisation warns that the most convincing AI-generated material could become indistinguishable from real images and videos, even for trained IWF analysts. This creates serious challenges for detecting and blocking illegal content and highlights the urgency for more comprehensive and effective measures to protect children online.
