The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) has warned of a sharp increase in AI-generated child sexual abuse imagery online, saying its analysts identified more such material in the first six months of 2026 than during the whole of 2025.

The UK-based online safety organisation said analysts assessed 6,310 AI-generated images between January and June that met the legal definition of child sexual abuse material. That figure was 40% higher than the 4,512 images identified during all of 2025.

The IWF said advances in generative AI are making it easier to create increasingly realistic illegal imagery, creating new challenges for technology companies, regulators and law-enforcement agencies.

The organisation uses digital fingerprints, known as hashes, to help technology companies and law enforcement detect and block previously identified abusive material. However, the IWF warned that newly generated material has no existing hash and therefore presents a separate detection challenge.

The findings have renewed calls for stronger online child-protection measures and AI regulation. The IWF is urging policymakers to support legislation that enables platforms to detect and remove both known and newly created illegal material.

The development highlights a growing technology challenge for the UK and wider digital industry: how to prevent generative AI tools from being exploited to create harmful content while maintaining effective online safety systems.