Twenty police forces in England and Wales recorded 163 crimes involving keywords like "AI-generated", "deepfake", and "nudify" by July 2026, up from 10 in 2023

The default risk of having AI-generated non-consensual intimate imagery appears in your search results or social media feeds has just increased.

Twenty police forces across England and Wales have reported a significant increase in crimes utilizing keywords such as "AI-generated," "deepfake," and "nudify." These forces recorded a total of 163 such crimes by July 2026. This figure represents a substantial rise from the 10 cases documented in 2023. The surge indicates a growing trend in the misuse of artificial intelligence technologies for malicious purposes, particularly concerning the creation and distribution of non-consensual intimate imagery. The data highlights an escalating challenge for law enforcement in identifying and prosecuting crimes enabled by advancements in AI and digital manipulation tools.

The sharp rise in AI-enabled crimes, particularly those involving deepfakes and non-consensual intimate imagery, points to a rapidly evolving threat landscape. This escalating problem indicates that current regulatory and technological safeguards are struggling to keep pace with the malicious applications of generative AI. The focus on "nudify" and similar keywords suggests a specific, troubling trend where AI is being weaponized for harassment and abuse, disproportionately affecting women. Law enforcement's growing data on these incidents underscores the urgent need for more robust detection methods and legal frameworks to address these new forms of digital harm.

This increase in reported offenses signals a critical juncture for the cybersecurity and digital ethics industries, as well as for social media platforms. The ease with which AI tools can now generate highly convincing fake content presents a significant challenge for content moderation and user safety. Companies must invest more heavily in AI detection technologies and user education to combat this growing wave of abuse. Failure to do so could lead to a further erosion of trust in online platforms and an exacerbation of the harms caused by AI-driven misinformation and abuse.