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Tech firms and child protection organizations will be granted permission to evaluate whether artificial intelligence tools can produce child abuse material under new UK laws.

Substantial Increase in AI-Generated Harmful Material

The announcement came as findings from a safety watchdog showing that reports of AI-generated CSAM have increased dramatically in the last twelve months, growing from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025.

Updated Legal Structure

Under the changes, the authorities will permit designated AI companies and child safety organizations to inspect AI systems – the foundational systems for chatbots and visual AI tools – and verify they have adequate safeguards to prevent them from producing depictions of child exploitation.

"Ultimately about preventing exploitation before it happens," declared the minister for AI and online safety, adding: "Specialists, under strict protocols, can now detect the danger in AI systems early."

Tackling Legal Challenges

The amendments have been implemented because it is illegal to create and own CSAM, meaning that AI developers and others cannot create such content as part of a evaluation regime. Previously, officials had to wait until AI-generated CSAM was published online before addressing it.

This law is aimed at averting that problem by enabling to stop the production of those images at their origin.

Legislative Structure

The changes are being added by the government as modifications to the criminal justice legislation, which is also implementing a ban on owning, creating or distributing AI models designed to create exploitative content.

Real-World Impact

This week, the official visited the London base of a children's helpline and heard a simulated call to advisors featuring a report of AI-based abuse. The call portrayed a adolescent seeking help after facing extortion using a explicit deepfake of himself, constructed using AI.

"When I hear about young people experiencing extortion online, it is a cause of intense anger in me and justified concern amongst families," he said.

Concerning Data

A prominent internet monitoring organization stated that cases of AI-generated exploitation material – such as webpages that may contain multiple files – had more than doubled so far this year.

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

• Girls were predominantly targeted, accounting for 94% of prohibited AI images in 2025
• Portrayals of newborns to two-year-olds rose from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Sector Response

The legislative amendment could "constitute a vital step to guarantee AI products are secure before they are released," stated the head of the internet monitoring organization.

"Artificial intelligence systems have made it so victims can be targeted repeatedly with just a simple actions, giving offenders the ability to create potentially limitless amounts of sophisticated, lifelike child sexual abuse material," she continued. "Material which further exploits victims' trauma, and renders children, especially girls, more vulnerable on and off line."

Counseling Interaction Data

Childline also released details of support interactions where AI has been mentioned. AI-related risks mentioned in the sessions comprise:

• Employing AI to rate body size, physique and looks
• Chatbots dissuading young people from consulting trusted adults about abuse
• Facing harassment online with AI-generated content
• Digital extortion using AI-manipulated pictures

During April and September this year, Childline delivered 367 counselling sessions where AI, chatbots and related terms were discussed, significantly more as many as in the equivalent timeframe last year.

Fifty percent of the references of AI in the 2025 sessions were connected with mental health and wellbeing, encompassing using chatbots for assistance and AI therapy apps.