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Tech firms and child safety organizations will be granted permission to assess whether artificial intelligence systems can produce child exploitation images under new UK legislation.

Significant Increase in AI-Generated Harmful Content

The announcement coincided with findings from a protection watchdog showing that cases of AI-generated CSAM have more than doubled in the past year, rising from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025.

New Regulatory Framework

Under the changes, the government will allow approved AI developers and child protection groups to inspect AI systems – the underlying technology for chatbots and visual AI tools – and verify they have sufficient safeguards to prevent them from creating images of child exploitation.

"Fundamentally about stopping abuse before it occurs," stated the minister for AI and online safety, noting: "Experts, under strict protocols, can now identify the danger in AI models early."

Tackling Legal Challenges

The amendments have been implemented because it is against the law to produce and possess CSAM, meaning that AI developers and others cannot generate such content 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 legislation is aimed at preventing that problem by helping to halt the creation of those images at source.

Legislative Structure

The changes are being added by the authorities as revisions to the criminal justice legislation, which is also implementing a ban on owning, creating or sharing AI systems designed to generate exploitative content.

Real-World Consequences

This recently, the official visited the London headquarters of Childline and listened to a simulated call to counsellors featuring a report of AI-based exploitation. The interaction depicted a teenager seeking help after being blackmailed using a explicit deepfake of himself, created using AI.

"When I hear about young people experiencing extortion online, it is a source of extreme anger in me and justified concern amongst parents," he stated.

Concerning Data

A prominent online safety foundation reported that cases of AI-generated abuse content – such as online pages that may include numerous files – had more than doubled so far this year.

Instances of category A material – the most serious form of abuse – increased from 2,621 images or videos to 3,086.

• Girls were predominantly victimized, accounting for 94% of illegal AI images in 2025
• Depictions of infants to toddlers increased from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Sector Reaction

The law change could "constitute a crucial step to ensure AI products are safe before they are launched," commented the head of the internet monitoring organization.

"Artificial intelligence systems have made it so survivors can be targeted all over again with just a simple actions, providing offenders the capability to create possibly limitless quantities of sophisticated, photorealistic exploitative content," she continued. "Material which further exploits victims' trauma, and makes young people, particularly female children, less safe on and off line."

Support Session Data

The children's helpline also released information of support sessions where AI has been referenced. AI-related risks mentioned in the sessions comprise:

• Using AI to rate weight, body and appearance
• Chatbots discouraging children from talking to trusted adults about abuse
• Facing harassment online with AI-generated material
• Digital blackmail using AI-faked pictures

During April and September this year, Childline delivered 367 support sessions where AI, chatbots and associated terms were mentioned, four times as many as in the same period last year.

Half of the references of AI in the 2025 sessions were related to psychological wellbeing and wellness, encompassing utilizing chatbots for support and AI therapeutic apps.