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Technology companies and child safety agencies will receive permission to evaluate whether AI systems can produce child abuse material under recently introduced UK legislation.

Significant Rise in AI-Generated Harmful Material

The announcement coincided with findings from a safety 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 Structure

Under the changes, the authorities will allow designated AI developers and child safety groups to examine AI models – the underlying technology for conversational AI and image generators – and verify they have adequate safeguards to prevent them from producing depictions of child exploitation.

"Ultimately about preventing exploitation before it happens," stated Kanishka Narayan, adding: "Experts, under rigorous conditions, can now detect the danger in AI models early."

Addressing Legal Obstacles

The changes have been implemented because it is against the law to produce and own CSAM, meaning that AI creators and other parties cannot generate such images as part of a evaluation process. Previously, officials had to delay action until AI-generated CSAM was uploaded online before dealing with it.

This legislation is aimed at averting that problem by helping to stop the creation of those materials at their origin.

Legislative Framework

The amendments are being introduced by the government as modifications to the criminal justice legislation, which is also establishing a ban on possessing, producing or sharing AI models designed to generate child sexual abuse material.

Practical Consequences

This week, the official toured the London headquarters of Childline and heard a simulated conversation to advisors featuring a report of AI-based abuse. The interaction portrayed a teenager requesting help after facing extortion using a sexualised AI-generated image of himself, created using AI.

"When I hear about young people experiencing blackmail online, it is a cause of intense anger in me and rightful concern amongst families," he said.

Concerning Data

A prominent internet monitoring organization stated that cases of AI-generated abuse content – such as online pages that may contain numerous files – had significantly increased so far this year.

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

• Girls were overwhelmingly targeted, accounting for 94% of prohibited AI depictions in 2025
• Depictions of infants to two-year-olds increased from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Industry Reaction

The legislative amendment could "represent a crucial step to ensure AI products are secure before they are released," commented the head of the internet monitoring organization.

"AI tools have made it so victims can be targeted all over again with just a simple actions, giving offenders the capability to make potentially endless quantities of advanced, lifelike child sexual abuse material," she continued. "Material which additionally exploits survivors' suffering, and makes children, particularly girls, less safe on and off line."

Counseling Session Information

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

• Employing AI to evaluate weight, physique and appearance
• AI assistants discouraging children from talking to trusted adults about abuse
• Being bullied online with AI-generated material
• Online extortion using AI-faked pictures

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

Half of the mentions of AI in the 2025 interactions were connected with mental health and wellness, including utilizing AI assistants for support and AI therapeutic applications.