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Technology companies and child safety agencies will receive authority to evaluate whether artificial intelligence systems can produce child abuse images under recently introduced UK laws.

Significant Rise in AI-Generated Harmful Content

The announcement coincided with findings from a protection watchdog showing that cases of AI-generated CSAM have increased dramatically in the last twelve months, growing from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025.

New Legal Framework

Under the changes, the authorities will allow approved AI companies and child protection organizations to inspect AI models – the underlying technology for chatbots and visual AI tools – and verify they have adequate safeguards to stop them from creating images of child sexual abuse.

"Fundamentally about preventing exploitation before it occurs," stated Kanishka Narayan, adding: "Experts, under strict protocols, can now detect the risk in AI systems promptly."

Tackling Regulatory Challenges

The changes have been introduced because it is illegal to produce and possess CSAM, meaning that AI creators and other parties cannot create such images as part of a testing process. Previously, authorities had to delay action until AI-generated CSAM was uploaded online before dealing with it.

This law is aimed at preventing that issue by helping to stop the production of those images at their origin.

Legislative Framework

The changes are being introduced by the government as modifications to the criminal justice legislation, which is also implementing a prohibition on possessing, creating or sharing AI models developed to create exploitative content.

Practical Impact

This recently, the minister visited the London base of a children's helpline and listened to a mock-up call to counsellors featuring a report of AI-based exploitation. The interaction depicted a adolescent requesting help after facing extortion using a explicit deepfake of themselves, constructed using AI.

"When I hear about young people experiencing extortion online, it is a source of extreme anger in me and justified anger amongst families," he stated.

Alarming Statistics

A prominent internet monitoring organization stated that cases of AI-generated exploitation content – such as webpages that may include multiple images – had significantly increased so far this year.

Cases of category A content – the gravest form of exploitation – increased from 2,621 visual files to 3,086.

• Female children were overwhelmingly targeted, accounting for 94% of illegal AI images in 2025
• Depictions of newborns to two-year-olds rose from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Industry Reaction

The legislative amendment could "constitute a vital step to guarantee AI tools are secure before they are released," commented the head of the online safety foundation.

"Artificial intelligence systems have enabled so survivors can be targeted all over again with just a simple actions, providing criminals the capability to make possibly limitless quantities of advanced, lifelike child sexual abuse material," she added. "Material which further commodifies survivors' trauma, and makes young people, especially female children, more vulnerable both online and offline."

Support Session Information

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

• Using AI to rate weight, physique and appearance
• AI assistants dissuading children from talking to trusted guardians about harm
• Being bullied online with AI-generated content
• Online blackmail using AI-manipulated pictures

Between April and September this year, the helpline delivered 367 support interactions where AI, chatbots and associated topics 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 wellness, encompassing using AI assistants for support and AI therapy apps.