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Tech firms and child safety organizations will receive permission to assess whether AI systems can generate child abuse images under recently introduced British legislation.

Substantial Increase in AI-Generated Illegal Content

The announcement came as findings from a safety watchdog showing that cases of AI-generated CSAM have increased dramatically in the past year, rising from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025.

New Legal Structure

Under the changes, the authorities will allow approved AI companies and child protection organizations to examine AI systems – the foundational systems for conversational AI and image generators – and ensure they have adequate safeguards to stop them from producing depictions of child exploitation.

"Ultimately about preventing abuse before it happens," declared Kanishka Narayan, adding: "Specialists, under rigorous protocols, can now identify the danger in AI models promptly."

Tackling Legal Challenges

The changes have been introduced because it is illegal to produce and possess CSAM, meaning that AI creators and others cannot generate such content as part of a evaluation regime. Previously, officials had to wait until AI-generated CSAM was uploaded online before addressing it.

This law is designed to averting that issue by helping to stop the creation of those images at their origin.

Legal Framework

The changes are being introduced by the authorities as modifications to the criminal justice legislation, which is also establishing a ban on owning, producing or sharing AI models developed to create exploitative content.

Practical Consequences

This week, the official visited the London headquarters of Childline and listened to a mock-up call to counsellors featuring a report of AI-based exploitation. The call depicted a adolescent seeking help after being blackmailed using a sexualised AI-generated image of himself, created using AI.

"When I hear about children facing extortion online, it is a cause of intense anger in me and justified concern amongst parents," he stated.

Concerning Data

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

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

• Girls were overwhelmingly targeted, making up 94% of prohibited AI depictions in 2025
• Depictions of newborns to two-year-olds rose from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Sector Reaction

The law change could "constitute a vital step to guarantee AI products are secure before they are launched," commented the head of the internet monitoring foundation.

"AI tools have made it so victims can be victimised repeatedly with just a simple actions, giving offenders the capability to make possibly endless quantities of sophisticated, lifelike exploitative content," she added. "Content which further commodifies survivors' suffering, and renders children, especially girls, more vulnerable both online and offline."

Counseling Session Data

Childline also released details of counselling interactions where AI has been mentioned. AI-related harms discussed in the sessions comprise:

• Employing AI to evaluate body size, body and looks
• Chatbots discouraging young people from talking to safe guardians about abuse
• Facing harassment online with AI-generated material
• Online extortion using AI-faked pictures

During April and September this year, the helpline delivered 367 support interactions where AI, conversational AI and related terms were discussed, significantly more as many as in the equivalent timeframe last year.

Fifty percent of the references of AI in the 2025 sessions were connected with psychological wellbeing and wellbeing, encompassing using chatbots for assistance and AI therapeutic applications.