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Tech firms and child safety agencies will be granted permission to assess whether AI tools can produce child exploitation images under new UK laws.

Significant Increase in AI-Generated Harmful Material

The announcement coincided with findings from a protection monitoring body showing that cases 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 government will allow approved AI developers and child protection groups to examine AI systems – the foundational systems for conversational AI and visual AI tools – and verify they have sufficient safeguards to prevent them from creating images of child sexual abuse.

"Ultimately about preventing exploitation before it occurs," declared Kanishka Narayan, noting: "Experts, under rigorous conditions, can now identify the risk in AI systems early."

Tackling Regulatory Obstacles

The changes have been implemented because it is against the law to create and own CSAM, meaning that AI developers and others cannot generate such content as part of a evaluation regime. Previously, officials had to delay action until AI-generated CSAM was published online before addressing it.

This law is aimed at averting that problem by enabling to stop the production of those images at source.

Legislative Structure

The amendments are being added by the government as revisions to the crime and policing bill, which is also establishing a ban on owning, producing or distributing AI systems developed to create child sexual abuse material.

Real-World Impact

This week, the minister visited the London headquarters of Childline and heard a mock-up call to advisors involving a report of AI-based abuse. The call depicted a teenager 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 frustration in me and rightful anger amongst parents," he said.

Concerning Data

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

Instances of the most severe content – the gravest form of abuse – increased from 2,621 images or videos to 3,086.

• Girls were predominantly targeted, accounting for 94% of prohibited AI depictions in 2025
• Portrayals of newborns to toddlers increased from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Sector Reaction

The legislative amendment could "constitute a vital step to guarantee AI tools are safe before they are launched," stated the chief executive of the online safety foundation.

"Artificial intelligence systems have made it so victims can be targeted all over again with just a few clicks, providing criminals the capability to make potentially endless amounts of advanced, lifelike exploitative content," she added. "Material which further commodifies victims' trauma, and renders children, especially female children, less safe on and off line."

Support Interaction Data

Childline also published details of support sessions where AI has been referenced. AI-related risks mentioned in the sessions comprise:

• Employing AI to rate body size, physique and appearance
• Chatbots discouraging young people from consulting trusted guardians about harm
• Facing harassment online with AI-generated content
• Digital blackmail using AI-manipulated pictures

During April and September this year, the helpline delivered 367 counselling interactions where AI, conversational AI and associated topics were mentioned, significantly more as many as in the equivalent timeframe last year.

Fifty percent of the references of AI in the 2025 interactions were related to psychological wellbeing and wellbeing, encompassing using chatbots for support and AI therapeutic applications.