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Technology companies and child protection agencies will receive permission to assess whether AI tools can generate child exploitation material under recently introduced British legislation.

Significant Increase in AI-Generated Harmful Content

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 last twelve months, growing from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025.

New Regulatory Structure

Under the amendments, the authorities will permit approved AI developers and child safety groups to examine AI systems – the underlying systems for conversational AI and visual AI tools – and verify they have sufficient protective measures to prevent them from creating depictions of child sexual abuse.

"Ultimately about preventing abuse before it occurs," stated Kanishka Narayan, adding: "Experts, under strict protocols, can now detect the risk in AI models early."

Addressing Regulatory Challenges

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

This law is aimed at preventing that problem by helping to halt the creation of those images at their origin.

Legal Structure

The changes are being added by the government as revisions to the criminal justice legislation, which is also establishing a ban on possessing, creating or sharing AI systems designed to create exploitative content.

Real-World Impact

This week, the minister visited the London headquarters of Childline and listened to a simulated conversation to counsellors featuring a account of AI-based abuse. The call portrayed a teenager requesting help after being blackmailed using a explicit AI-generated image of themselves, constructed using AI.

"When I hear about young people facing blackmail online, it is a cause of intense anger in me and rightful anger amongst families," he said.

Alarming Data

A leading online safety organization reported that cases of AI-generated exploitation material – such as webpages that may contain multiple images – had significantly increased so far this year.

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

• Female children were overwhelmingly victimized, making up 94% of prohibited AI depictions in 2025
• Portrayals of infants to toddlers rose from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Sector Reaction

The legislative amendment could "represent a vital step to guarantee AI products are safe before they are launched," commented the chief executive of the online safety organization.

"Artificial intelligence systems have made it so survivors can be victimised all over again with just a simple actions, giving offenders the capability to create potentially limitless amounts of advanced, photorealistic exploitative content," she continued. "Content which additionally commodifies survivors' trauma, and makes young people, especially female children, less safe both online and offline."

Support Interaction Data

The children's helpline also published information of counselling interactions where AI has been referenced. AI-related risks discussed in the conversations include:

• Employing AI to rate body size, physique and appearance
• AI assistants discouraging children from consulting trusted guardians about abuse
• Facing harassment online with AI-generated material
• Digital extortion using AI-faked images

During April and September this year, the helpline delivered 367 counselling sessions where AI, chatbots and associated topics were mentioned, four times as many as in the equivalent timeframe last year.

Fifty percent of the mentions of AI in the 2025 sessions were connected with psychological wellbeing and wellness, including utilizing chatbots for assistance and AI therapy applications.