TL;DR
The Metropolitan Police is exploring artificial intelligence to help identify victims in child sexual abuse cases more quickly, while investing £10 million in child-first interview spaces designed to reduce trauma. Online child sexual abuse and exploitation crimes have risen 25% year-on-year.
The operational challenge
The Met investigated more than 5,400 child sexual abuse offences in the past year, requiring over 1,300 children to be safeguarded for online abuse and exploitation crimes. Officers currently spend many hours manually reviewing seized material to determine whether images or videos relate to known cases or indicate new, unidentified victims needing protection.
AI could analyse large volumes of material to help identify previously unknown victims, allowing officers to prioritise cases and shorten the gap between detection and intervention. The technology would also reduce the time officers and staff spend exposed to distressing material.
Safeguards and oversight
Deputy commissioner Matt Jukes emphasised that “human judgement, strong oversight and victim care remain at the heart of every investigation.” Strict legal, ethical and safeguarding frameworks would govern any AI deployment, with specialist officers retaining decision-making authority at every stage.
The force framed the technology as a prioritisation and triage tool rather than a replacement for human investigation. AI would flag potential new victims for human review, not make safeguarding decisions autonomously.
Broader context
The 25% year-on-year increase in online child sexual abuse and exploitation crimes reflects a broader pattern of digital crime scaling beyond traditional policing capacity. For the Met, AI offers a way to match investigative resource to a growing caseload without proportionally increasing the human cost of reviewing harmful material.
Looking forward
The Met’s approach — pairing AI capability with explicit human oversight frameworks — may set a template for other UK forces considering AI in sensitive policing contexts. The parallel £10 million investment in physical interview facilities signals that technology is being positioned as a complement to, not a substitute for, child-centred investigative practice.