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Tech firms and child safety organizations will receive authority to evaluate whether artificial intelligence tools can generate child abuse images under new UK laws.

Substantial Increase in AI-Generated Harmful Content

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

Updated Legal Structure

Under the amendments, the government will allow designated AI companies and child protection groups to inspect AI systems – the foundational technology for chatbots and visual AI tools – and ensure they have sufficient safeguards to stop them from creating images of child sexual abuse.

"Fundamentally about preventing exploitation before it occurs," declared the minister for AI and online safety, noting: "Experts, under strict conditions, can now identify the danger in AI models promptly."

Addressing Regulatory Obstacles

The amendments have been implemented because it is illegal to produce and possess CSAM, meaning that AI developers and other parties cannot create such content as part of a evaluation regime. Previously, authorities had to delay action until AI-generated CSAM was uploaded online before addressing it.

This legislation is designed to preventing that issue by enabling to stop the creation of those images at their origin.

Legal Structure

The amendments are being introduced by the government as revisions to the crime and policing bill, which is also establishing a ban on owning, producing or sharing AI models designed to create exploitative content.

Real-World Impact

This week, the official visited the London headquarters of Childline and listened to a mock-up conversation to advisors featuring a report of AI-based exploitation. The interaction portrayed a adolescent requesting help after facing extortion using a explicit deepfake of himself, created using AI.

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

Concerning Statistics

A prominent online safety foundation reported that cases of AI-generated exploitation material – such as webpages that may include numerous files – had significantly increased so far this year.

Cases of the most severe material – the most serious form of exploitation – rose from 2,621 visual files to 3,086.

• Female children were predominantly targeted, making up 94% of illegal AI depictions in 2025
• Portrayals of infants to toddlers rose from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Sector Reaction

The law change could "constitute a crucial step to ensure AI products are secure before they are released," commented the chief executive of the internet monitoring organization.

"Artificial intelligence systems have enabled so survivors can be victimised repeatedly with just a simple actions, giving offenders the ability to create potentially limitless quantities of sophisticated, photorealistic exploitative content," she added. "Material which additionally exploits survivors' trauma, and renders young people, especially female children, more vulnerable both online and offline."

Counseling Interaction Information

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

• Employing AI to evaluate weight, physique and looks
• AI assistants dissuading children from consulting safe guardians about harm
• Being bullied online with AI-generated material
• Digital extortion using AI-faked pictures

During April and September this year, Childline delivered 367 counselling interactions where AI, chatbots and associated topics were discussed, four times as many as in the same period last year.

Half of the mentions of AI in the 2025 sessions were related to mental health and wellness, including using chatbots for support and AI therapy applications.