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Tech firms and child protection organizations will receive authority to evaluate whether AI systems can generate child abuse material under new British legislation.

Significant Increase in AI-Generated Harmful Material

The declaration came as findings from a safety watchdog showing that cases of AI-generated child sexual abuse material have increased dramatically in the past year, rising from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025.

Updated Legal Structure

Under the changes, the government will permit designated AI developers and child protection organizations to examine AI models – the underlying technology for conversational AI and visual AI tools – and verify they have adequate protective measures to stop them from producing depictions of child exploitation.

"Ultimately about preventing exploitation before it happens," stated the minister for AI and online safety, noting: "Specialists, under rigorous conditions, can now identify the danger in AI models promptly."

Tackling Legal Obstacles

The changes have been implemented because it is against the law to produce and possess CSAM, meaning that AI developers and other parties cannot generate such images as part of a evaluation regime. Previously, authorities had to wait until AI-generated CSAM was uploaded online before addressing it.

This law is designed to averting that issue by helping to halt the creation of those materials at source.

Legal Framework

The changes are being added by the authorities as modifications to the crime and policing bill, which is also establishing a prohibition on possessing, producing or sharing AI systems developed to create exploitative content.

Practical Consequences

This recently, the minister toured the London base of Childline and heard a simulated call to advisors featuring a report of AI-based abuse. The interaction depicted a teenager seeking help after facing extortion using a explicit deepfake of himself, created using AI.

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

Concerning Data

A leading internet monitoring organization reported that instances of AI-generated abuse material – such as webpages that may include multiple images – had significantly increased so far this year.

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

• Girls were overwhelmingly victimized, making up 94% of illegal AI depictions in 2025
• Portrayals of newborns to toddlers rose from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Industry Response

The law change could "constitute a vital step to ensure AI products are safe before they are released," commented the head of the internet monitoring foundation.

"Artificial intelligence systems have made it so victims can be victimised all over again with just a simple actions, providing offenders the ability to make potentially endless amounts of sophisticated, lifelike exploitative content," she added. "Material which additionally exploits survivors' suffering, and makes children, especially female children, less safe both online and offline."

Counseling Session Information

The children's helpline also published information of counselling sessions where AI has been referenced. AI-related harms discussed in the conversations comprise:

• Employing AI to evaluate weight, physique and looks
• Chatbots dissuading young people from consulting trusted guardians about abuse
• Facing harassment online with AI-generated material
• Online extortion using AI-faked images

During April and September this year, Childline delivered 367 support interactions where AI, chatbots and associated 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 using AI assistants for support and AI therapy applications.