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Tech firms and child protection organizations will receive authority to evaluate whether artificial intelligence tools can produce child abuse images under new UK legislation.

Substantial Increase in AI-Generated Harmful Material

The declaration coincided with revelations from a protection watchdog showing that reports of AI-generated CSAM have increased dramatically in the past year, growing from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025.

New Regulatory Framework

Under the amendments, the government will allow approved AI companies and child protection organizations to inspect AI models – the underlying technology for conversational AI and visual AI tools – and verify they have sufficient safeguards to stop them from producing images of child sexual abuse.

"Ultimately about stopping abuse before it occurs," stated the minister for AI and online safety, noting: "Experts, under strict protocols, can now detect the risk in AI systems early."

Addressing Legal Obstacles

The changes have been introduced because it is against the law to produce and possess CSAM, meaning that AI developers and others cannot create such images as part of a testing process. Until now, authorities had to wait until AI-generated CSAM was published online before addressing it.

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

Legal Structure

The amendments are being added by the government as revisions to the crime and policing bill, which is also implementing a ban on possessing, creating or distributing AI systems developed to generate child sexual abuse material.

Real-World Impact

This week, the official toured the London base of Childline and heard a simulated conversation to counsellors involving a account of AI-based abuse. The call depicted a teenager seeking help after being blackmailed using a explicit AI-generated image of themselves, created using AI.

"When I learn about young people facing extortion online, it is a cause of intense frustration in me and rightful concern amongst parents," he stated.

Concerning Statistics

A leading internet monitoring foundation stated that instances of AI-generated exploitation content – such as webpages that may contain multiple files – had more than doubled so far this year.

Cases of category A material – the most serious form of exploitation – increased from 2,621 visual files to 3,086.

• Female children were overwhelmingly victimized, accounting for 94% of prohibited AI images in 2025
• Depictions of infants to toddlers increased from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Industry Response

The legislative amendment could "represent a crucial step to guarantee AI tools are safe before they are launched," stated the head of the online safety organization.

"Artificial intelligence systems have made it so victims can be targeted repeatedly with just a simple actions, giving offenders the ability to make possibly endless quantities of sophisticated, lifelike child sexual abuse material," she continued. "Material which further exploits survivors' trauma, and makes children, particularly female children, more vulnerable both online and offline."

Support Session Data

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

• Using AI to rate body size, physique and appearance
• AI assistants dissuading children from consulting trusted adults about harm
• Being bullied online with AI-generated material
• Online extortion using AI-manipulated images

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

Half of the mentions of AI in the 2025 sessions were related to mental health and wellbeing, encompassing using chatbots for support and AI therapy apps.