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Tech firms and child protection agencies will receive permission to assess whether AI systems can generate child exploitation material under recently introduced British legislation.

Substantial Increase in AI-Generated Harmful Content

The declaration coincided with revelations from a protection watchdog showing that reports 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 government will allow designated AI developers and child protection groups to inspect AI models – the underlying technology for chatbots and image generators – and ensure they have sufficient safeguards to stop them from creating images of child exploitation.

"Fundamentally about stopping exploitation before it happens," stated the minister for AI and online safety, adding: "Specialists, under strict conditions, can now detect the risk in AI models promptly."

Tackling Regulatory Obstacles

The changes have been implemented 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, officials had to wait until AI-generated CSAM was published online before addressing it.

This legislation is designed to averting that problem by helping to halt the production of those images at source.

Legislative Framework

The amendments are being introduced by the government as revisions to the criminal justice legislation, which is also implementing a ban on owning, producing or distributing AI models designed to generate exploitative content.

Practical Impact

This week, the minister toured the London headquarters of a children's helpline and heard a simulated call to advisors involving a account of AI-based abuse. The call portrayed a adolescent requesting help after being blackmailed using a sexualised AI-generated image of himself, created using AI.

"When I learn about young people facing extortion online, it is a source of intense anger in me and justified concern amongst parents," he said.

Alarming Statistics

A prominent internet monitoring foundation reported that instances of AI-generated abuse content – such as online pages that may include multiple files – had more than doubled so far this year.

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

• Female children were predominantly victimized, making up 94% of illegal AI images 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 launched," commented the head of the internet monitoring foundation.

"AI tools have made it so survivors can be targeted all over again with just a simple actions, giving criminals the capability to make potentially endless quantities of advanced, lifelike child sexual abuse material," she continued. "Material which further exploits survivors' trauma, and makes young people, particularly female children, less safe on and off line."

Support Session Information

Childline also released information of support interactions where AI has been referenced. AI-related risks mentioned in the conversations include:

• Using AI to evaluate body size, body and looks
• AI assistants dissuading children from consulting trusted adults about harm
• Being bullied online with AI-generated material
• Digital extortion using AI-manipulated images

During April and September this year, Childline conducted 367 counselling sessions 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 sessions were related to mental health and wellness, encompassing using AI assistants for support and AI therapeutic applications.