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Tech firms and child safety organizations will receive permission to assess whether AI systems can generate child abuse material under new British laws.

Significant Increase in AI-Generated Illegal Material

The declaration came as findings from a safety monitoring body showing that cases of AI-generated child sexual abuse material have more than doubled in the past year, rising from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025.

Updated Regulatory Framework

Under the amendments, the government will allow designated AI developers and child protection organizations to examine AI models – the underlying technology for chatbots and image generators – and ensure they have adequate protective measures to stop them from creating depictions of child exploitation.

"Fundamentally about preventing abuse before it happens," declared the minister for AI and online safety, adding: "Experts, under strict protocols, can now detect the risk in AI systems promptly."

Addressing Legal Challenges

The amendments have been introduced because it is against the law to create and own CSAM, meaning that AI developers and others cannot create such images as part of a evaluation process. Until now, authorities had to delay action until AI-generated CSAM was uploaded online before dealing with it.

This legislation is designed to averting that issue by enabling to halt the creation of those materials at their origin.

Legislative Structure

The changes are being introduced by the authorities as revisions to the crime and policing bill, which is also establishing a prohibition on possessing, producing or sharing AI models designed to create exploitative content.

Real-World Consequences

This recently, the official visited the London base of Childline and listened to a mock-up call to advisors involving a account of AI-based abuse. The interaction depicted a teenager seeking help after being blackmailed using a explicit AI-generated image of himself, constructed using AI.

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

Alarming Statistics

A prominent internet monitoring foundation reported that cases of AI-generated exploitation content – such as webpages that may include numerous files – had significantly increased so far this year.

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

• Female children were predominantly targeted, making up 94% of prohibited AI images in 2025
• Depictions of newborns to two-year-olds rose from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Sector Response

The law change could "represent a crucial step to guarantee AI tools are secure before they are released," stated the head of the online safety organization.

"Artificial intelligence systems have made it so victims can be victimised all over again with just a simple actions, giving criminals the ability to make potentially endless quantities of sophisticated, photorealistic child sexual abuse material," she continued. "Material which further commodifies survivors' trauma, and renders young people, especially female children, more vulnerable both online and offline."

Counseling Interaction Information

Childline also published details of counselling sessions where AI has been referenced. AI-related risks mentioned in the sessions include:

• Employing AI to evaluate body size, body and appearance
• AI assistants discouraging young people from talking to trusted adults about abuse
• Facing harassment online with AI-generated material
• Online blackmail using AI-faked pictures

Between April and September this year, Childline conducted 367 counselling sessions 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 psychological wellbeing and wellness, including utilizing AI assistants for assistance and AI therapeutic applications.