Open-weight AI models fuel CSAM surge: 500+ models, 1.5M reports

According to Bloomberg, open-weight AI models are being widely used to generate child sexual abuse material, with the number of such models growing from fewer than a dozen two years ago to more than 500. Reports of AI-generated CSAM to NCMEC topped 1.5 million last year, up from just 67,000 in 2024.

• More than 500 open-weight AI models are used to generate CSAM
• NCMEC reports topped 1.5 million last year, up from 67,000 in 2024
• Local hosting lets offenders bypass commercial safety guardrails
• Dark web communities attract hundreds of thousands of members