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Technology companies and child protection agencies will be granted permission to assess whether artificial intelligence systems can generate child abuse images under new British laws.

Substantial Rise in AI-Generated Illegal Material

The declaration coincided with findings from a protection watchdog showing that cases 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 Legal Structure

Under the amendments, the authorities will allow designated AI developers and child protection groups to examine AI systems – the foundational technology for conversational AI and visual AI tools – and ensure they have adequate protective measures to stop them from producing depictions of child exploitation.

"Ultimately about preventing exploitation before it occurs," declared the minister for AI and online safety, noting: "Specialists, under strict conditions, can now identify the risk in AI models promptly."

Addressing Regulatory Challenges

The amendments have been implemented because it is illegal to create and own CSAM, meaning that AI developers and other parties cannot create such content as part of a evaluation process. Until now, authorities had to wait until AI-generated CSAM was published online before addressing it.

This law is aimed at preventing that problem by helping to halt the production of those materials at source.

Legal Framework

The changes are being introduced by the authorities as modifications to the criminal justice legislation, which is also establishing a ban on possessing, creating or sharing AI models designed to create child sexual abuse material.

Real-World Consequences

This recently, the minister visited the London headquarters of Childline and listened to a simulated call to advisors featuring a account of AI-based exploitation. The call portrayed a adolescent requesting help after facing extortion using a explicit deepfake of himself, constructed using AI.

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

Concerning Data

A prominent internet monitoring foundation reported that instances of AI-generated exploitation content – such as webpages that may include numerous images – had significantly increased so far this year.

Instances of category A content – the most serious form of exploitation – rose from 2,621 images or videos to 3,086.

• Girls were predominantly targeted, making up 94% of illegal AI images in 2025
• Portrayals of newborns to two-year-olds rose from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Industry 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 organization.

"Artificial intelligence systems have made it so victims can be targeted all over again with just a simple actions, giving offenders the capability to create possibly limitless amounts of sophisticated, photorealistic exploitative content," she continued. "Material which further exploits victims' suffering, and makes young people, especially female children, more vulnerable on and off line."

Counseling Interaction Data

The children's helpline also released information of support sessions where AI has been referenced. AI-related risks mentioned in the sessions include:

• Using AI to evaluate weight, physique and looks
• AI assistants discouraging children from consulting trusted adults about harm
• Being bullied online with AI-generated material
• Online extortion using AI-manipulated pictures

During April and September this year, Childline conducted 367 counselling sessions where AI, chatbots and associated topics were mentioned, significantly more as many as in the same period last year.

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