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Tech firms and child safety organizations will receive permission to evaluate whether artificial intelligence tools can produce child exploitation images under new UK legislation.

Substantial Rise in AI-Generated Harmful Material

The announcement came as revelations from a safety watchdog showing that reports of AI-generated child sexual abuse material have increased dramatically in the past year, growing from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025.

New Legal Framework

Under the amendments, the authorities will allow approved AI developers and child protection groups to examine AI systems – the underlying systems for chatbots and visual AI tools – and ensure they have adequate safeguards to stop them from producing depictions of child sexual abuse.

"Fundamentally about preventing exploitation before it occurs," stated Kanishka Narayan, adding: "Specialists, under rigorous conditions, can now identify the danger in AI systems promptly."

Addressing Regulatory Obstacles

The changes have been introduced because it is against the law to produce and own CSAM, meaning that AI creators and others cannot create such images as part of a evaluation regime. Until now, authorities had to wait until AI-generated CSAM was published online before dealing with it.

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

Legislative Structure

The amendments are being added by the authorities as modifications to the criminal justice legislation, which is also implementing a ban on possessing, producing or distributing AI systems developed to generate child sexual abuse material.

Practical Consequences

This week, the minister toured the London headquarters of Childline and listened to a simulated call to advisors featuring a account of AI-based exploitation. The interaction portrayed a adolescent requesting help after being blackmailed using a sexualised AI-generated image of himself, constructed using AI.

"When I learn about children experiencing blackmail online, it is a cause of intense frustration in me and rightful anger amongst parents," he said.

Concerning Statistics

A leading online safety foundation reported that cases of AI-generated abuse material – such as webpages that may include numerous images – had significantly increased so far this year.

Cases of the most severe content – the most serious form of abuse – increased from 2,621 images or videos to 3,086.

• Female children were predominantly victimized, accounting for 94% of prohibited AI depictions in 2025
• Depictions of infants to toddlers rose from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Industry Response

The law change could "represent a vital step to guarantee AI tools are safe before they are released," stated the head of the internet monitoring foundation.

"Artificial intelligence systems have enabled so victims can be victimised all over again with just a simple actions, giving offenders the capability to make potentially endless amounts of advanced, photorealistic child sexual abuse material," she added. "Content which further commodifies victims' trauma, and makes young people, particularly girls, more vulnerable both online and offline."

Counseling Session Data

Childline also released details of counselling interactions where AI has been referenced. AI-related risks discussed in the sessions include:

• Employing AI to evaluate body size, body and looks
• AI assistants dissuading children from consulting safe guardians about abuse
• Facing harassment online with AI-generated material
• Digital blackmail using AI-faked images

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

Half of the references of AI in the 2025 interactions were connected with mental health and wellbeing, encompassing using AI assistants for support and AI therapeutic applications.