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

Substantial Rise in AI-Generated Harmful Content

The declaration coincided with revelations from a safety watchdog showing that reports of AI-generated child sexual abuse material have more than doubled in the last twelve months, rising from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025.

Updated Legal Structure

Under the changes, the authorities will allow designated AI companies and child protection organizations to inspect AI systems – the underlying systems for conversational AI and image generators – and ensure they have sufficient protective measures to prevent them from producing depictions of child exploitation.

"Fundamentally about preventing exploitation before it happens," declared Kanishka Narayan, noting: "Specialists, under strict conditions, can now detect the risk in AI systems early."

Addressing Legal Challenges

The amendments have been implemented because it is against the law to create and own CSAM, meaning that AI creators and others cannot create such content as part of a evaluation process. Previously, authorities had to delay action until AI-generated CSAM was published online before addressing it.

This law is aimed at averting that issue by helping to halt the production of those images at source.

Legal Framework

The changes are being introduced by the authorities as revisions to the crime and policing bill, which is also implementing a prohibition on owning, producing or sharing AI models developed to generate exploitative content.

Real-World Consequences

This week, the minister visited the London headquarters of a children's helpline and listened to a simulated call to advisors involving a report of AI-based exploitation. The call depicted a teenager requesting help after being blackmailed using a explicit deepfake of himself, constructed using AI.

"When I learn about young people facing extortion online, it is a source of extreme frustration in me and justified anger amongst families," he said.

Alarming Data

A leading online safety organization reported that instances of AI-generated abuse material – such as webpages that may contain multiple files – had more than doubled so far this year.

Instances of the most severe material – the gravest form of abuse – increased from 2,621 visual files to 3,086.

• Female children were predominantly victimized, accounting for 94% of illegal AI depictions in 2025
• Portrayals of infants to two-year-olds rose from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Sector Response

The law change could "represent a crucial step to ensure AI products are safe before they are launched," stated the chief executive of the online safety foundation.

"AI tools have made it so survivors can be victimised all over again with just a few clicks, giving criminals the ability to create possibly limitless amounts of advanced, photorealistic exploitative content," she added. "Material which further commodifies victims' trauma, and renders young people, especially female children, more vulnerable both online and offline."

Support Interaction Information

Childline also published information of support sessions where AI has been referenced. AI-related harms discussed in the conversations include:

• Employing AI to evaluate body size, physique and appearance
• Chatbots discouraging children from consulting trusted adults about harm
• Facing harassment online with AI-generated content
• Digital blackmail using AI-manipulated images

Between April and September this year, Childline delivered 367 counselling sessions where AI, chatbots and associated terms were mentioned, four times 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 wellness, including utilizing AI assistants for assistance and AI therapy applications.