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Tech firms and child safety organizations will receive permission to evaluate whether artificial intelligence tools can generate child abuse images under recently introduced UK legislation.

Substantial Rise in AI-Generated Harmful Content

The announcement came as revelations from a protection monitoring body showing that cases of AI-generated child sexual abuse material have increased dramatically in the last twelve months, growing from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025.

Updated Legal Framework

Under the amendments, the government will allow designated AI developers and child safety organizations to examine AI models – the underlying technology for conversational AI and image generators – and verify they have sufficient protective measures to stop them from producing depictions of child sexual abuse.

"Fundamentally about stopping abuse before it occurs," stated Kanishka Narayan, adding: "Specialists, under rigorous conditions, can now identify the danger in AI models early."

Addressing Regulatory Challenges

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

This legislation is aimed at averting that problem by helping to stop the production of those materials at source.

Legislative Structure

The amendments are being added by the authorities as modifications to the crime and policing bill, which is also implementing a ban on owning, creating or distributing AI models developed to generate child sexual abuse material.

Practical Consequences

This recently, the minister visited the London base of Childline and listened to a simulated call to counsellors featuring a report of AI-based abuse. The call depicted a teenager seeking help after facing extortion using a sexualised AI-generated image of himself, constructed using AI.

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

Concerning Statistics

A leading online safety organization stated that instances of AI-generated exploitation content – such as online pages that may include numerous images – had more than doubled so far this year.

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

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

Sector Response

The legislative amendment could "constitute a vital step to guarantee AI products are safe before they are launched," commented the chief executive of the internet monitoring foundation.

"AI tools have enabled so victims can be victimised repeatedly with just a few clicks, giving offenders the capability to create potentially limitless amounts of advanced, lifelike child sexual abuse material," she added. "Material which additionally commodifies survivors' trauma, and makes young people, particularly female children, less safe on and off line."

Support Session Data

The children's helpline also released details of support interactions where AI has been referenced. AI-related harms mentioned in the sessions comprise:

• Using AI to evaluate weight, body and looks
• AI assistants discouraging young people from talking to trusted adults about harm
• Facing harassment online with AI-generated material
• Digital blackmail using AI-manipulated images

During April and September this year, Childline delivered 367 support interactions where AI, chatbots and related terms were mentioned, four times as many as in the equivalent timeframe last year.

Fifty percent of the references of AI in the 2025 interactions were related to mental health and wellness, including using chatbots for assistance and AI therapeutic applications.