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Technology companies and child protection agencies will receive permission to assess whether AI systems can generate child exploitation images under recently introduced UK laws.

Substantial Increase in AI-Generated Illegal Material

The declaration came as revelations from a protection monitoring body showing that reports of AI-generated CSAM have increased dramatically in the past year, rising from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025.

New Regulatory Structure

Under the changes, the government will permit approved AI companies and child protection organizations to examine AI models – the underlying systems for chatbots and image generators – and verify they have sufficient protective measures to prevent them from creating depictions of child exploitation.

"Ultimately about stopping abuse before it happens," declared the minister for AI and online safety, adding: "Experts, under rigorous protocols, can now detect the danger in AI systems early."

Addressing Legal Obstacles

The amendments have been implemented because it is against the law to produce and own CSAM, meaning that AI developers and other parties cannot create such content as part of a testing process. Until now, officials had to delay action until AI-generated CSAM was published online before dealing with it.

This law is designed to averting that issue by enabling to halt the production of those materials at their origin.

Legislative Framework

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

Practical Consequences

This recently, the minister visited the London base of a children's helpline and listened to a simulated call to advisors featuring a report of AI-based abuse. The call depicted a teenager requesting help after being blackmailed using a explicit AI-generated image of himself, constructed using AI.

"When I learn about young people experiencing blackmail online, it is a cause of intense frustration in me and justified concern amongst parents," he stated.

Alarming Statistics

A prominent online safety organization stated that cases of AI-generated exploitation material – such as online pages that may contain numerous files – had more than doubled so far this year.

Cases of category A material – the most serious form of abuse – rose from 2,621 visual files to 3,086.

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

Sector Response

The law change could "constitute a crucial step to ensure AI tools are safe before they are launched," commented the head of the internet monitoring foundation.

"AI tools have enabled so victims can be victimised all over again with just a few clicks, giving offenders the ability to make potentially endless quantities of advanced, lifelike child sexual abuse material," she continued. "Content which further exploits victims' suffering, and makes children, especially girls, less safe both online and offline."

Counseling Interaction Data

The children's helpline also released information of support interactions where AI has been referenced. AI-related risks mentioned in the conversations comprise:

• Using AI to evaluate weight, body and looks
• Chatbots dissuading children from talking to trusted adults about harm
• Being bullied online with AI-generated content
• Online extortion using AI-manipulated images

During April and September this year, Childline conducted 367 support sessions where AI, conversational AI and associated topics were discussed, four times as many as in the equivalent timeframe last year.

Fifty percent of the references of AI in the 2025 sessions were related to mental health and wellbeing, including using chatbots for assistance and AI therapeutic applications.