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Tech firms and child protection agencies will receive permission to evaluate whether AI tools can generate child abuse material under recently introduced UK laws.

Substantial Rise in AI-Generated Illegal Content

The announcement coincided with revelations from a safety monitoring body showing that reports of AI-generated child sexual abuse material have increased dramatically in the last twelve months, rising from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025.

Updated Regulatory Structure

Under the changes, the authorities will permit designated AI developers and child safety groups to inspect AI models – the foundational systems for conversational AI and image generators – and verify they have adequate protective measures to stop them from creating images of child sexual abuse.

"Fundamentally about preventing abuse before it occurs," stated Kanishka Narayan, noting: "Experts, under strict conditions, can now detect the risk in AI systems early."

Addressing Regulatory Challenges

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

This legislation is designed to averting that problem by enabling to stop the production of those materials at their origin.

Legal Framework

The amendments are being added by the government as revisions to the criminal justice legislation, which is also establishing a ban on possessing, producing or sharing AI systems designed to create child sexual abuse material.

Real-World Impact

This recently, the minister toured the London headquarters of Childline and listened to a simulated conversation to advisors featuring a account of AI-based abuse. The interaction portrayed a adolescent requesting help after facing extortion using a explicit AI-generated image of themselves, constructed using AI.

"When I hear about children experiencing blackmail online, it is a source of intense anger in me and justified anger amongst parents," he stated.

Alarming Data

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

Cases of the most severe material – the most serious form of exploitation – increased from 2,621 images or videos to 3,086.

• Female children were predominantly victimized, making up 94% of illegal AI images in 2025
• Portrayals of infants to two-year-olds increased from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Sector Response

The law change could "represent a crucial step to guarantee AI products are secure before they are launched," stated the chief executive of the internet monitoring organization.

"Artificial intelligence systems have made it so survivors can be targeted all over again with just a simple actions, providing offenders the ability to make potentially endless quantities of advanced, photorealistic child sexual abuse material," she continued. "Material which further commodifies victims' trauma, and renders children, particularly female children, more vulnerable on and off line."

Counseling Session Data

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

• Using AI to evaluate weight, physique and appearance
• AI assistants dissuading young people from talking to trusted adults about abuse
• Facing harassment online with AI-generated material
• Digital blackmail using AI-faked images

During April and September this year, Childline delivered 367 counselling sessions where AI, conversational AI and associated terms 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 psychological wellbeing and wellness, including using AI assistants for assistance and AI therapeutic apps.