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Tech firms and child safety organizations will receive authority to assess whether AI systems can produce child exploitation images under new UK laws.

Substantial Increase in AI-Generated Illegal Content

The announcement coincided with revelations from a safety monitoring body showing that reports of AI-generated CSAM have more than doubled in the last twelve months, rising from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025.

Updated Regulatory Structure

Under the changes, the authorities will allow approved AI companies and child safety groups to inspect AI models – the foundational systems for chatbots and visual AI tools – and verify they have sufficient protective measures to prevent them from producing depictions of child sexual abuse.

"Fundamentally about preventing abuse before it happens," declared Kanishka Narayan, noting: "Specialists, under rigorous protocols, can now identify the danger in AI models early."

Tackling Legal Challenges

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

This legislation is aimed at preventing that problem by enabling to halt the creation of those images at their origin.

Legislative Structure

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

Practical Impact

This recently, the official toured the London base of Childline and heard a simulated conversation to advisors involving a report of AI-based exploitation. The interaction portrayed a adolescent seeking help after facing extortion using a sexualised deepfake of himself, created using AI.

"When I learn about children experiencing blackmail online, it is a cause of intense frustration in me and justified concern amongst families," he said.

Alarming Statistics

A prominent online safety foundation reported that instances of AI-generated exploitation material – such as webpages that may include multiple images – had significantly increased so far this year.

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

• Female children were predominantly targeted, accounting for 94% of prohibited AI images in 2025
• Portrayals of infants to toddlers rose from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Sector Response

The legislative amendment could "constitute a crucial step to guarantee AI products are secure before they are launched," stated the head of the internet monitoring foundation.

"Artificial intelligence systems have enabled so victims can be victimised repeatedly with just a few clicks, giving offenders the capability to create possibly endless amounts of advanced, photorealistic child sexual abuse material," she continued. "Content which further exploits victims' trauma, and renders young people, especially female children, less safe on and off line."

Counseling Interaction Information

Childline also published details of support interactions where AI has been mentioned. AI-related risks discussed in the conversations include:

• Using AI to rate weight, body and looks
• Chatbots dissuading children from consulting safe guardians about abuse
• Facing harassment online with AI-generated content
• Digital extortion using AI-faked images

Between April and September this year, the helpline delivered 367 support sessions where AI, chatbots and associated topics were discussed, four times as many as in the same period last year.

Fifty percent of the mentions of AI in the 2025 sessions were connected with mental health and wellbeing, encompassing using AI assistants for assistance and AI therapy applications.