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Tech firms and child safety organizations will receive authority to assess whether AI systems can produce child abuse material under recently introduced UK laws.

Substantial Rise in AI-Generated Illegal Material

The announcement coincided with findings from a protection watchdog showing that reports of AI-generated CSAM have more than doubled in the past year, rising from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025.

New Legal Framework

Under the amendments, the authorities will permit designated AI companies and child safety groups to examine AI models – the underlying technology for chatbots and image generators – and verify they have sufficient safeguards to stop them from creating depictions of child exploitation.

"Ultimately about preventing exploitation before it occurs," declared Kanishka Narayan, adding: "Specialists, under strict conditions, can now identify the risk in AI models promptly."

Tackling Regulatory Challenges

The changes have been implemented because it is against the law to create and possess CSAM, meaning that AI creators and other parties cannot create such images as part of a testing regime. Until now, authorities had to wait until AI-generated CSAM was uploaded online before dealing with it.

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

Legal Framework

The changes are being introduced by the government as revisions to the criminal justice legislation, which is also establishing a ban on possessing, producing or distributing AI systems developed to generate child sexual abuse material.

Real-World Impact

This week, the minister toured the London headquarters of Childline and listened to a simulated conversation to advisors featuring a report of AI-based abuse. The interaction portrayed a teenager seeking help after facing extortion using a explicit AI-generated image of himself, constructed using AI.

"When I learn about children facing blackmail online, it is a source of extreme frustration in me and justified anger amongst parents," he said.

Concerning Data

A leading online safety organization stated that cases of AI-generated abuse content – such as webpages that may contain numerous images – had significantly increased so far this year.

Cases of category A content – the most serious form of abuse – rose from 2,621 images or videos to 3,086.

• Girls were predominantly targeted, making up 94% of illegal AI images in 2025
• Depictions 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," stated the chief executive of the online safety foundation.

"Artificial intelligence systems have enabled so victims can be victimised all over again with just a simple actions, providing criminals the ability to create possibly limitless quantities of sophisticated, photorealistic child sexual abuse material," she added. "Material which further commodifies survivors' suffering, and renders young people, especially girls, less safe on and off line."

Counseling Session Data

Childline also published details of counselling interactions where AI has been mentioned. AI-related risks discussed in the conversations comprise:

• Using AI to rate body size, body and looks
• AI assistants dissuading young people from talking to trusted adults about abuse
• Facing harassment online with AI-generated material
• Online extortion using AI-faked images

During April and September this year, the helpline conducted 367 counselling interactions where AI, conversational AI and related topics were discussed, four times as many as in the same period last year.

Half of the references of AI in the 2025 sessions were related to mental health and wellbeing, including utilizing AI assistants for support and AI therapy applications.