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Technology companies and child protection agencies will be granted permission to assess whether AI systems can produce child abuse images under recently introduced UK legislation.

Significant Rise in AI-Generated Illegal Content

The announcement came as revelations from a safety watchdog showing that reports of AI-generated CSAM have increased dramatically in the last twelve months, growing from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025.

New Regulatory Structure

Under the changes, the authorities will allow approved AI companies and child safety organizations to inspect AI models – the underlying technology for conversational AI and visual AI tools – and ensure they have adequate safeguards to prevent them from producing depictions of child exploitation.

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

Addressing Legal Challenges

The amendments have been introduced because it is against the law to create and own CSAM, meaning that AI creators and other parties cannot generate such images as part of a evaluation process. Previously, officials had to wait until AI-generated CSAM was published online before dealing with it.

This law is designed to preventing that issue by helping to halt the production of those materials at source.

Legislative Structure

The amendments are being added by the authorities as revisions to the criminal justice legislation, which is also implementing a prohibition on owning, producing or sharing AI models developed to generate exploitative content.

Real-World Impact

This recently, the minister visited the London base of Childline and heard a simulated conversation to advisors involving a account of AI-based exploitation. The interaction portrayed a teenager requesting help after being blackmailed using a explicit deepfake of themselves, created using AI.

"When I learn about children experiencing extortion online, it is a source of extreme frustration in me and justified anger amongst parents," he stated.

Alarming Data

A prominent online safety organization reported that cases of AI-generated exploitation material – such as webpages that may include multiple files – had more than doubled so far this year.

Cases 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 depictions in 2025
• Depictions of infants to toddlers rose from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Industry Reaction

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

"Artificial intelligence systems have enabled so survivors can be victimised repeatedly with just a few clicks, providing offenders the capability to create potentially endless quantities of sophisticated, photorealistic child sexual abuse material," she continued. "Content which further exploits survivors' suffering, and makes young people, particularly girls, less safe both online and offline."

Counseling Interaction Information

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

• Employing AI to evaluate weight, body and looks
• AI assistants discouraging children from consulting safe adults about harm
• Facing harassment online with AI-generated content
• Digital extortion using AI-manipulated images

During April and September this year, Childline conducted 367 support sessions where AI, conversational AI and related terms were mentioned, four times as many as in the same period last year.

Fifty percent of the references of AI in the 2025 interactions were connected with psychological wellbeing and wellbeing, including utilizing chatbots for support and AI therapy apps.