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Tech firms and child safety agencies will be granted permission to assess whether AI systems can produce child exploitation images under recently introduced UK legislation.

Substantial Rise in AI-Generated Harmful Material

The announcement coincided with findings from a protection watchdog showing that reports of AI-generated child sexual abuse material have increased dramatically in the past year, rising from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025.

Updated Legal Framework

Under the amendments, the authorities will permit approved AI companies and child safety organizations to examine AI models – the foundational technology for chatbots and image generators – and ensure they have sufficient safeguards to stop them from creating images of child exploitation.

"Fundamentally about preventing abuse before it occurs," stated the minister for AI and online safety, adding: "Specialists, under rigorous protocols, can now detect the danger in AI systems promptly."

Addressing Legal Obstacles

The changes have been introduced because it is illegal to create and possess CSAM, meaning that AI developers and others cannot generate such images as part of a evaluation process. Until now, officials had to delay action until AI-generated CSAM was uploaded online before dealing with it.

This law is aimed at averting that problem by enabling to halt the production of those materials at source.

Legislative Structure

The amendments are being added by the government as modifications to the crime and policing bill, which is also establishing a prohibition on possessing, producing or sharing AI models designed to create child sexual abuse material.

Real-World Impact

This recently, the minister toured the London headquarters of a children's helpline and listened to a simulated call to counsellors involving a account of AI-based abuse. The interaction depicted a adolescent seeking help after facing extortion using a explicit deepfake of himself, constructed using AI.

"When I learn about young people facing blackmail online, it is a source of intense frustration in me and rightful concern amongst families," he said.

Concerning Data

A prominent internet monitoring foundation reported that cases of AI-generated abuse content – such as online pages that may contain numerous files – had significantly increased so far this year.

Cases of category A content – the gravest form of abuse – rose from 2,621 visual files to 3,086.

• Girls were overwhelmingly victimized, accounting for 94% of illegal AI depictions in 2025
• Depictions of infants to two-year-olds increased from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Sector Response

The legislative amendment could "represent a vital step to ensure AI tools are secure before they are launched," stated the chief executive of the internet monitoring organization.

"Artificial intelligence systems have enabled so survivors can be victimised all over again with just a simple actions, providing criminals the capability to make possibly limitless quantities of advanced, photorealistic child sexual abuse material," she continued. "Material which additionally commodifies victims' trauma, and makes young people, especially female children, less safe both online and offline."

Support Interaction Data

Childline also published information of support interactions where AI has been referenced. AI-related risks mentioned in the conversations comprise:

• Employing AI to rate weight, physique and appearance
• Chatbots dissuading young people from talking to trusted guardians about harm
• Being bullied online with AI-generated content
• Online extortion using AI-faked pictures

During April and September this year, the helpline conducted 367 support sessions where AI, chatbots and related topics were mentioned, significantly more as many as in the same period last year.

Half of the references of AI in the 2025 interactions were related to psychological wellbeing and wellness, including using chatbots for assistance and AI therapeutic apps.