Technology companies and child protection organizations will receive permission to evaluate whether artificial intelligence tools can produce child abuse images under new British laws.
Significant Increase in AI-Generated Illegal Material
The announcement coincided with revelations from a safety watchdog showing that cases of AI-generated child sexual abuse material have increased dramatically in the past year, rising from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025.
New Regulatory Structure
Under the changes, the authorities will permit approved AI companies and child protection groups to inspect AI systems – the foundational systems for conversational AI and image generators – and ensure they have sufficient safeguards to stop them from producing images of child exploitation.
"Ultimately about preventing exploitation before it occurs," stated the minister for AI and online safety, noting: "Experts, under strict conditions, can now detect the risk in AI systems promptly."
Addressing Regulatory Challenges
The changes have been implemented because it is illegal to create and possess CSAM, meaning that AI developers and other parties cannot create such images as part of a testing process. Until now, officials had to wait until AI-generated CSAM was published online before addressing it.
This law is aimed at averting that problem by helping to halt the creation of those images at source.
Legal Framework
The amendments are being introduced by the authorities as revisions to the crime and policing bill, which is also establishing a prohibition on possessing, creating or distributing AI models developed to create exploitative content.
Real-World Consequences
This week, the official visited the London base of Childline and listened to a simulated conversation to advisors involving a account of AI-based abuse. The call portrayed a adolescent seeking help after facing extortion using a sexualised AI-generated image of himself, created using AI.
"When I hear about children experiencing blackmail online, it is a source of intense anger in me and justified concern amongst families," he said.
Concerning Data
A leading internet monitoring organization stated that cases of AI-generated abuse content – such as online pages that may contain multiple files – had significantly increased so far this year.
Cases of the most severe content – the gravest form of abuse – increased from 2,621 images or videos to 3,086.
- Girls were predominantly victimized, accounting for 94% of illegal AI depictions in 2025
- Portrayals of infants to toddlers increased from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025
Sector Reaction
The law change could "represent a crucial step to guarantee AI tools are safe before they are released," commented the head of the internet monitoring foundation.
"AI tools have made it so victims can be targeted all over again with just a simple actions, giving offenders the capability to make potentially endless amounts of advanced, photorealistic exploitative content," she added. "Content which further exploits victims' suffering, and renders children, particularly girls, more vulnerable both online and offline."
Counseling Session Information
The children's helpline also published information of support interactions where AI has been mentioned. AI-related harms mentioned in the sessions include:
- Using AI to evaluate weight, physique and looks
- AI assistants discouraging children from consulting safe guardians about harm
- Facing harassment online with AI-generated content
- Online blackmail using AI-faked pictures
During April and September this year, Childline conducted 367 counselling interactions where AI, chatbots and associated terms were mentioned, significantly more as many as in the same period last year.
Half of the references of AI in the 2025 sessions were connected with mental health and wellness, including utilizing chatbots for support and AI therapy applications.
