ChildX Award 2026

Digitalization has made the internet the primary arena for the sexual exploitation of children and young people. Over half of young people have experienced some form of sexual harm online in their childhood.

The rapid development of artificial intelligence is fundamentally changing the playing field. AI today represents a double-edged sword. Helplines report a sharp increase in AI-generated abuse material, and the justice system is struggling to distinguish synthetic content from material depicting real children. In a 2023 study, the Internet Watch Foundation found more than 20,000 AI-generated sexual abuse images on a single darknet forum—in just one month.

But the same technology can also become a powerful part of the solution. AI’s ability to analyze large amounts of data can, for example, make police investigations more efficient, help identify vulnerable children earlier, and detect emerging trends and patterns at an early stage.

That is why the ChildX Award 2026 will be presented under the theme:“AI as a Tool to Prevent the Sexual Exploitation of Children”. We are looking for groundbreaking initiatives that use AI to protect children across the entire chain—from prevention and detection to intervention and support. We welcome nominations from NGOs, startups, established tech companies, research projects, and public sector initiatives.
Now, we invite your nominations!

Selection Criteria:

1. Innovation and Effectiveness
   Has developed, scaled, or implemented an effective method that uses AI to prevent, detect, or otherwise combat sexual exploitation and abuse of children.
2. Child Rights-Based Approach
   Operates with the understanding that children are full individuals with their own rights—to protection, privacy, participation, and influence. A child rights-based approach, based on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, ensures that children are not only seen as recipients of protection, but as active participants whose experiences, needs, and perspectives guide decisions and solutions at every stage.
3. Scalability and Potential for Impact
   Has the potential to be implemented on a larger scale—across more platforms, regions, or countries—to achieve broader impact.
4. Ethics and Accountability
   Demonstrates a clear and responsible approach to data protection and ethical use of technology, with special attention to children’s right to privacy and safety.

Do you know an organization, company, or project making a real difference? Nominate your candidate today!

The nomination is open until December 1, 2025. For questions, please contact info@childx.se

Nominate here

About the ChildX Award

The ChildX Award was created to encourage and drive systemic change. The award highlights organizations that excel in preventing and protecting children from child sexual exploitation, using new, innovative approaches to address this complex and ever-changing challenge. In 2024, the theme was “identification,” and the award was given to the Dutch organization Spine for its method of online outreach.