The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) has reported a substantial increase in the number of AI-generated child sexual abuse images, with 6,310 images assessed in the first half of 2026 alone. This figure represents a 40% rise compared to the total number of such images assessed throughout the entirety of 2025. The UK-based IWF, which monitors child sexual abuse material globally, stated that this surge indicates a growing proliferation of illegal content online. The data indicates that the majority of these AI-generated images depict girls, and a significant portion features children aged between seven and 13 years old. The IWF's findings also suggest an increase in imagery depicting younger children, with identified images of infants and toddlers under the age of two. While the latest figures focus on still images, the IWF noted a concurrent surge in AI-generated child sexual abuse videos. In 2025, the foundation identified 3,440 such videos, a substantial increase from the 13 identified in 2024. Government officials have reiterated that UK law clearly defines child sexual abuse material as illegal, irrespective of whether it is AI-generated. Developing AI models specifically for the creation of such material carries a potential prison sentence of up to five years. The IWF also reported an increase in reports to its "Report Remove" service, which blocks intimate images from appearing online. In the first half of 2026, 420 such reports were received from children who believed their images had been faked or manipulated to appear explicit, surpassing the 397 reports received in the entirety of 2025. The IWF has called for new statutory regulation on artificial intelligence to address this escalating issue. Experts within the IWF have expressed that the realism of these AI-generated images can make them indistinguishable from photographic child sexual abuse material. Furthermore, the organization highlighted how AI companion sites offering explicit conversations with simulated child characters and the ability to generate criminal images alongside chats are accessible, sometimes through advertisements on mainstream social media platforms. The IWF's 2025 Annual Data & Insights Report detailed a broader trend of increasing commercialization of child sexual abuse material online. In 2025, 15,031 webpages containing child sexual abuse material were identified as commercial, a rise from 7,028 in 2024. These commercial sites often host a wider range of imagery and may offer direct purchase options or indirect monetization through disguised sites and premium access.