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Technology companies and child protection organizations will be granted permission to evaluate whether AI systems can produce child exploitation images under recently introduced British laws.

Substantial Rise in AI-Generated Illegal Content

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

Updated Regulatory Framework

Under the amendments, the authorities will permit approved AI companies and child safety organizations to inspect AI models – the foundational systems for chatbots and visual AI tools – and verify they have adequate safeguards to prevent them from producing images of child sexual abuse.

"Ultimately about preventing abuse before it occurs," declared the minister for AI and online safety, noting: "Experts, under strict protocols, can now identify the danger in AI models 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 others cannot create such images as part of a testing process. Previously, officials had to wait until AI-generated CSAM was uploaded online before dealing with it.

This law is designed to averting that issue by helping to stop the creation of those images at their origin.

Legislative Framework

The changes are being added 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 visited the London headquarters of Childline and heard a simulated conversation to advisors featuring a account of AI-based exploitation. The interaction portrayed a adolescent requesting help after facing extortion using a explicit deepfake of himself, created using AI.

"When I hear about children experiencing extortion online, it is a source of extreme anger in me and justified concern amongst families," he stated.

Concerning Statistics

A prominent online safety organization reported that instances of AI-generated exploitation material – such as webpages that may include numerous files – had more than doubled so far this year.

Instances of the most severe material – the gravest form of abuse – increased from 2,621 visual files to 3,086.

• Girls were predominantly victimized, making up 94% of prohibited AI depictions in 2025
• Portrayals of infants to two-year-olds rose from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Sector Reaction

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

"AI tools have enabled so victims can be victimised repeatedly with just a simple actions, giving offenders the capability to make possibly endless amounts of sophisticated, photorealistic child sexual abuse material," she added. "Content which additionally commodifies survivors' suffering, and renders young people, especially female children, less safe on and off line."

Support Session Information

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

• Using AI to evaluate body size, physique and looks
• AI assistants discouraging children from consulting safe guardians about abuse
• Facing harassment online with AI-generated content
• Digital blackmail using AI-manipulated pictures

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

Half of the references of AI in the 2025 sessions were connected with mental health and wellbeing, including using AI assistants for support and AI therapy applications.