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Tech firms and child protection organizations will receive permission to evaluate whether artificial intelligence systems can produce child abuse images under new UK legislation.

Substantial Rise in AI-Generated Illegal Material

The declaration coincided with findings from a protection monitoring body showing that reports of AI-generated child sexual abuse material have more than doubled in the past year, growing from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025.

Updated Legal Framework

Under the changes, the government will permit designated AI companies and child safety organizations to examine AI models – the foundational technology for chatbots and image generators – and verify they have sufficient safeguards to prevent them from creating depictions of child exploitation.

"Fundamentally about stopping abuse before it happens," stated Kanishka Narayan, noting: "Specialists, under rigorous conditions, can now identify the danger in AI models early."

Addressing Regulatory Challenges

The amendments have been introduced because it is against the law to create and own CSAM, meaning that AI developers and other parties cannot create such images as part of a evaluation regime. Until now, authorities had to wait until AI-generated CSAM was published online before addressing it.

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

Legal Structure

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 sharing AI models designed to generate child sexual abuse material.

Real-World Impact

This recently, the official toured the London base of a children's helpline and listened to a mock-up call to advisors featuring a report of AI-based exploitation. The call portrayed a adolescent seeking help after facing extortion using a sexualised deepfake of himself, created using AI.

"When I hear about young people experiencing blackmail online, it is a cause of intense anger in me and rightful anger amongst families," he stated.

Alarming Data

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

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

• Girls were overwhelmingly targeted, accounting for 94% of illegal AI depictions in 2025
• Portrayals of infants 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 safe before they are released," stated the chief executive of the internet monitoring foundation.

"Artificial intelligence systems have enabled so survivors can be victimised all over again with just a few clicks, giving criminals the ability to create potentially endless quantities of advanced, lifelike exploitative content," she added. "Material which additionally commodifies survivors' suffering, and makes young people, especially girls, more vulnerable on and off line."

Counseling Session Data

Childline also published information of counselling interactions where AI has been mentioned. AI-related risks mentioned in the conversations include:

• Employing AI to rate weight, body and looks
• Chatbots discouraging young people from consulting trusted guardians about harm
• Being bullied online with AI-generated material
• Online blackmail using AI-manipulated images

During April and September this year, Childline conducted 367 support interactions where AI, chatbots and associated terms were discussed, significantly more as many as in the equivalent timeframe last year.

Half of the references of AI in the 2025 sessions were related to psychological wellbeing and wellbeing, encompassing using AI assistants for assistance and AI therapeutic applications.