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Technology companies and child protection agencies will be granted authority to evaluate whether AI tools can generate child exploitation material under new British legislation.

Significant Rise in AI-Generated Illegal Material

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

Updated Legal Structure

Under the amendments, the government will allow designated AI developers and child safety groups to examine AI systems – the foundational technology for conversational AI and visual AI tools – and ensure they have adequate protective measures to prevent them from producing depictions of child sexual abuse.

"Ultimately about preventing exploitation before it occurs," stated the minister for AI and online safety, noting: "Experts, under strict protocols, can now detect the danger in AI models early."

Addressing Legal Challenges

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 process. Previously, authorities had to wait until AI-generated CSAM was uploaded online before addressing it.

This legislation is aimed at preventing that issue by enabling to stop the production of those images at source.

Legal Structure

The changes are being introduced by the government as revisions to the crime and policing bill, which is also implementing a ban on possessing, creating or sharing AI models developed to create child sexual abuse material.

Real-World Impact

This week, the minister visited the London headquarters of Childline and heard a mock-up call to counsellors featuring a report of AI-based abuse. The call depicted a adolescent seeking help after being blackmailed using a sexualised deepfake of themselves, constructed using AI.

"When I hear about children facing extortion online, it is a cause of intense frustration in me and justified anger amongst parents," he stated.

Concerning Data

A leading internet monitoring organization stated that cases of AI-generated abuse content – such as webpages that may include numerous files – had significantly increased so far this year.

Instances of the most severe material – the most serious form of abuse – rose from 2,621 images or videos to 3,086.

• Female children were overwhelmingly victimized, making up 94% of illegal AI images in 2025
• Depictions of infants to toddlers increased from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Sector Response

The law change could "constitute a vital step to ensure AI products are safe before they are launched," commented the chief executive of the internet monitoring foundation.

"Artificial intelligence systems have made it so survivors can be victimised all over again with just a few clicks, giving offenders the capability to create possibly limitless amounts of sophisticated, lifelike child sexual abuse material," she added. "Content which additionally exploits survivors' trauma, and renders children, especially girls, less safe on and off line."

Support Session Information

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

• Using AI to evaluate weight, physique and appearance
• Chatbots dissuading children from talking to safe guardians about abuse
• Facing harassment online with AI-generated content
• Digital blackmail using AI-faked images

Between April and September this year, Childline delivered 367 counselling interactions where AI, chatbots and associated topics were discussed, four times as many as in the same period last year.

Fifty percent of the references of AI in the 2025 sessions were connected with mental health and wellbeing, encompassing using chatbots for assistance and AI therapeutic apps.