A new guide warning about the rise in AI-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM) has been issued to more than 38,000 professionals working with children across the UK. The resource, created by the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), aims to help teachers and frontline staff respond to what experts are calling a “highly disturbing” threat.

The guidance, Child sexual abuse imagery generated by artificial intelligence: An essential guide for professionals who work with children and young people, has been developed to raise awareness of AI-generated CSAM and provide education staff with the tools they need to deal with incidents involving this fast-evolving form of abuse.

According to UK law, CSAM is illegal regardless of how it is created. The document stresses that AI-generated material must be treated with “the same level of care, urgency and safeguarding response” as any other form of child sexual abuse imagery.

The new guidance comes amid growing concern over the misuse of generative AI tools to create nude or sexual images of children—often without their knowledge—and the associated rise in cases of sexual extortion, or “sextortion.” The IWF, which monitors and removes illegal imagery online, received 245 reports containing actionable AI-generated child sexual abuse images in 2024—representing a 380% increase from 2023.

“This is a new and evolving threat, and the devastating harms it can inflict are very real indeed,” said Derek Ray-Hill, Interim CEO at the IWF. “Teachers and professionals are on the front line, and this vital new guidance will give them the tools they need to respond confidently and decisively to protect children and young people.”

He added: “The creation and distribution of AI-manipulated and fake sexual imagery of a child can have a devastating impact on the victim. It can be used to blackmail and extort young people. There can be no doubt that real harm is inflicted and the capacity to create this type of imagery quickly and easily, even via an app on a phone, is a real cause for concern.

“Reports of AI-generated child sexual abuse material must be taken seriously and the safety, care and support of victims should be the central pillar of any response.

“The IWF Hotline acts swiftly to assess and remove AI-generated child sexual abuse imagery from the internet, and I would urge any young people who have been affected to use the Report Remove service which will put the power back in their hands and allow us to get this material taken down if it does get spread on the open web.”

In some cases, young people themselves may be responsible for creating AI-generated imagery of their peers – either as a form of bullying or blackmail, or without realising the legal consequences. The guidance notes that “where an under-18 is creating AI-CSAM, they may think it is ‘just a joke’ or ‘banter’ or do so with the intention of blackmailing or harming another child.

“They may or may not recognise the illegality or the serious, lasting impact their actions can have on the victim.”

This form of image manipulation – sometimes referred to as “nudifying” – involves altering a non-explicit photo to make someone appear nude. It is increasingly common in sextortion cases and can cause profound emotional distress for the victim.

A 2024 survey by the NCA found that more than a quarter of teachers (26%) were unaware that AI-generated CSAM is illegal. Most respondents were unsure whether young people understood the illegality either. Over half (53%) said they urgently needed guidance to help them respond to this emerging issue.

Alex Murray, NCA Director of Threat Leadership and policing lead for artificial intelligence, said: “AI-generated child sexual abuse material is a threat, with research from the Internet Watch Foundation showing an increase in reporting.

“Generative AI image creation tools will increase the volume of child sexual abuse material available online, creating difficulties with identifying and safeguarding victims due to the vast improvements in how real photos appear.

“Our survey showed that more than a quarter of respondents were not aware that AI-generated CSAM is illegal. A majority of professionals felt that guidance was needed to help them deal with this threat, which is why we’ve worked closely with the IWF to produce this resource. It will help professionals better understand AI, how it’s used to create CSAM and ways of responding to an incident involving children or young people.

“Protecting every single child from harm should matter to everyone. This is why we continue to work closely with partners to tackle this threat and are investing in technology to assist us with CSA investigations to safeguard children.

“Tackling child sexual abuse is a priority for the NCA and our policing partners, and we will continue to investigate and prosecute individuals who produce, possess, share or search for CSAM, including AI-generated CSAM.”

The new guidance has been welcomed by safeguarding experts. Jess Phillips, Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, said: “The rise in AI-generated child sexual abuse imagery is highly disturbing and it is vital that that every arm of society keeps up with the latest online threats. I’m pleased the Internet Watch Foundation and National Crime Agency are making sure teachers have the information they need to better protect young people from this horrific harm.

“AI-generated child sexual abuse is illegal and we know that sick predators’ activities online often lead to them carrying out the most horrific abuse in person. We will not allow technology to be weaponised against children and we will not hesitate to go further to protect our children online.”

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Victoria Green, CEO of the Marie Collins Foundation, added: “This is a vital step forward in recognising that the harm caused by AI-generated child sexual abuse imagery is real and far-reaching.

“The idea that AI-CSAM is somehow ‘victimless’ is both false and deeply damaging. Such content contributes to a harmful ecosystem of abuse and should be met with the same safeguarding standards, urgency and accountability as any other form of CSAM. This guidance is a timely and necessary resource.”

The new guidelines have been tailored for education professionals in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. They are available via the CEOP and IWF websites and include a step-by-step process for handling incidents involving AI-CSAM, including how to manage any illegal content and support victims.

The IWF continues to urge children and young people affected by this type of abuse to use the Report Remove tool — developed in partnership with Childline — to take down AI-generated content from the internet if it is shared or at risk of being shared.