🔗 Share this article

Technology companies and child safety agencies will be granted permission to evaluate whether AI tools can generate child abuse images under new UK legislation.

Substantial Increase in AI-Generated Illegal Material

The announcement coincided with revelations from a safety monitoring body showing that cases of AI-generated child sexual abuse material have more than doubled in the last twelve months, growing from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025.

New Regulatory Framework

Under the amendments, the authorities will permit approved AI developers and child safety groups to inspect AI models – the underlying technology for conversational AI and image generators – and verify they have sufficient protective measures to prevent them from creating depictions of child exploitation.

"Ultimately about preventing exploitation before it happens," stated the minister for AI and online safety, noting: "Specialists, under strict conditions, can now identify the risk in AI systems early."

Addressing Legal Challenges

The changes have been introduced because it is illegal to create and possess CSAM, meaning that AI developers and other parties cannot generate such content as part of a evaluation regime. Until now, authorities had to wait until AI-generated CSAM was uploaded online before addressing it.

This law is designed to preventing that problem by helping to stop the creation of those materials at source.

Legislative Framework

The changes are being added by the government as modifications to the crime and policing bill, which is also establishing a prohibition on owning, creating or sharing AI systems developed to generate child sexual abuse material.

Practical Consequences

This recently, the official visited the London headquarters of a children's helpline and heard a simulated call to counsellors featuring a account of AI-based exploitation. The interaction depicted a teenager requesting help after being blackmailed using a explicit deepfake of themselves, constructed using AI.

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

Concerning Statistics

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

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

• Female children were predominantly targeted, making up 94% of prohibited AI depictions in 2025
• Depictions of newborns to toddlers rose from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Industry Response

The law change could "represent a crucial step to ensure AI tools are secure before they are launched," stated the head of the online safety organization.

"AI tools have enabled so survivors can be victimised all over again with just a simple actions, providing criminals the ability to create possibly endless amounts of advanced, photorealistic exploitative content," she added. "Content which further exploits survivors' trauma, and makes children, particularly girls, more vulnerable both online and offline."

Counseling Session Information

Childline also released details of counselling interactions where AI has been referenced. AI-related harms mentioned in the conversations comprise:

• Using AI to rate body size, physique and appearance
• Chatbots dissuading children from consulting trusted guardians about abuse
• Facing harassment online with AI-generated content
• Digital blackmail using AI-manipulated pictures

Between April and September this year, Childline delivered 367 counselling interactions where AI, conversational AI and associated topics 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 mental health and wellbeing, including using chatbots for assistance and AI therapy apps.