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Tech firms and child protection organizations will receive authority to evaluate whether artificial intelligence systems can produce child abuse material under recently introduced British laws.

Significant Rise in AI-Generated Harmful Content

The declaration coincided with findings from a protection monitoring body showing that cases of AI-generated CSAM have increased dramatically in the last twelve months, rising from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025.

Updated Regulatory Structure

Under the amendments, the authorities will permit approved AI companies and child protection organizations to examine AI models – the underlying technology for conversational AI and visual AI tools – and ensure they have sufficient protective measures to prevent them from producing images of child sexual abuse.

"Ultimately about preventing exploitation before it happens," stated Kanishka Narayan, noting: "Experts, under strict protocols, can now identify the danger in AI systems early."

Addressing Regulatory Obstacles

The changes have been introduced because it is against the law to produce and own CSAM, meaning that AI creators and other parties cannot generate such images as part of a testing process. Until now, officials had to delay action until AI-generated CSAM was published online before addressing it.

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

Legal Structure

The amendments are being introduced by the authorities as modifications to the criminal justice legislation, which is also establishing a prohibition on owning, creating or sharing AI models designed to create child sexual abuse material.

Practical Impact

This week, the minister visited the London base of a children's helpline and listened to a mock-up conversation to counsellors featuring a report of AI-based abuse. The call depicted a teenager seeking help after facing extortion using a explicit AI-generated image of themselves, created using AI.

"When I hear about children facing blackmail online, it is a source of extreme frustration in me and rightful concern amongst parents," he said.

Concerning Data

A prominent internet monitoring foundation stated that instances of AI-generated exploitation material – such as online pages that may contain multiple files – had significantly increased so far this year.

Instances of the most severe material – the most serious form of exploitation – 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 infants to two-year-olds increased from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Industry Response

The legislative amendment could "represent a vital step to ensure AI products are secure before they are launched," commented the head of the online safety foundation.

"AI tools have made it so survivors can be victimised repeatedly with just a simple actions, giving offenders the capability to make possibly endless amounts of sophisticated, lifelike child sexual abuse material," she continued. "Material which additionally commodifies survivors' trauma, and makes young people, particularly girls, less safe both online and offline."

Counseling Session Data

Childline also published information of counselling interactions where AI has been referenced. AI-related risks mentioned in the conversations comprise:

• Using AI to rate body size, body and appearance
• Chatbots dissuading young people from talking to trusted guardians about harm
• Being bullied online with AI-generated content
• Digital blackmail using AI-manipulated images

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

Half of the references of AI in the 2025 sessions were connected with psychological wellbeing and wellbeing, including using AI assistants for assistance and AI therapy apps.