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Technology companies and child protection agencies will receive permission to evaluate whether artificial intelligence systems can generate child abuse material under new British laws.

Substantial Rise in AI-Generated Harmful Content

The announcement coincided with findings from a protection monitoring body showing that reports of AI-generated CSAM have increased dramatically in the past year, growing from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025.

Updated Legal Structure

Under the changes, the authorities will permit approved AI companies and child safety organizations to examine AI models – the foundational systems for chatbots and image generators – and verify they have adequate safeguards to stop them from creating depictions of child exploitation.

"Ultimately about stopping abuse before it occurs," stated the minister for AI and online safety, adding: "Experts, under rigorous conditions, can now identify the danger in AI systems promptly."

Tackling Legal Obstacles

The amendments have been introduced because it is against the law to create and possess CSAM, meaning that AI creators and other parties cannot generate such images as part of a evaluation regime. Until now, authorities had to wait until AI-generated CSAM was published online before addressing it.

This law is designed to preventing that issue by helping to halt the production of those materials at their origin.

Legislative Framework

The amendments are being introduced by the authorities as revisions to the criminal justice legislation, which is also establishing a prohibition on possessing, creating or sharing AI systems designed to create child sexual abuse material.

Real-World Impact

This week, the minister visited the London headquarters of a children's helpline and listened to a simulated call to advisors featuring a report of AI-based abuse. The call portrayed a teenager seeking help after facing extortion using a sexualised deepfake of themselves, created using AI.

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

Alarming Data

A prominent online safety organization stated that cases of AI-generated exploitation material – such as online pages that may include numerous files – had significantly increased so far this year.

Cases of category A content – the most serious form of exploitation – rose from 2,621 visual files to 3,086.

• Girls were predominantly victimized, making up 94% of prohibited AI depictions in 2025
• Depictions of newborns to toddlers increased from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Sector Response

The legislative amendment could "represent a vital step to guarantee AI products are secure before they are released," stated the head of the online safety foundation.

"Artificial intelligence systems have enabled so victims can be victimised repeatedly with just a few clicks, giving criminals the capability to make possibly endless amounts of sophisticated, lifelike child sexual abuse material," she added. "Material which additionally exploits victims' suffering, and makes children, especially female children, less safe both online and offline."

Counseling Interaction Data

The children's helpline also released details of support interactions where AI has been referenced. AI-related risks discussed in the conversations include:

• Using AI to evaluate body size, body and appearance
• Chatbots discouraging young people from talking to safe adults about harm
• Facing harassment online with AI-generated material
• Digital extortion using AI-manipulated pictures

Between April and September this year, Childline delivered 367 support interactions where AI, chatbots and related topics were discussed, significantly more as many as in the same period last year.

Half of the references of AI in the 2025 interactions were connected with mental health and wellbeing, encompassing utilizing AI assistants for assistance and AI therapeutic applications.