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Technology companies and child protection agencies will receive permission to assess whether artificial intelligence systems can produce child abuse material under new British legislation.

Significant Rise in AI-Generated Illegal Material

The announcement came as findings from a protection watchdog showing that cases of AI-generated child sexual abuse material have more than doubled in the last twelve months, growing from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025.

Updated Legal Framework

Under the changes, the government will permit designated AI companies and child safety organizations to examine AI models – the underlying technology for chatbots and image generators – and verify they have adequate safeguards to prevent them from producing depictions of child exploitation.

"Ultimately about stopping exploitation before it happens," declared Kanishka Narayan, adding: "Experts, under strict protocols, can now detect the danger in AI systems promptly."

Addressing Regulatory Challenges

The changes have been implemented because it is illegal to create and possess CSAM, meaning that AI creators and others cannot generate such content as part of a testing regime. Previously, authorities had to wait until AI-generated CSAM was published online before addressing it.

This legislation is aimed at preventing that problem by enabling to stop the creation of those images at source.

Legal Structure

The amendments are being added by the government as revisions to the criminal justice legislation, which is also implementing a ban on possessing, producing or distributing AI models developed to create child sexual abuse material.

Real-World Consequences

This recently, the official toured the London base of a children's helpline and heard a simulated conversation to counsellors featuring a report of AI-based exploitation. The call depicted a adolescent seeking help after facing extortion using a sexualised deepfake of themselves, constructed using AI.

"When I learn about young people facing blackmail online, it is a cause of intense frustration in me and rightful concern amongst families," he said.

Alarming Data

A prominent internet monitoring foundation stated that cases of AI-generated abuse material – such as online pages that may include numerous files – had more than doubled so far this year.

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

• Female children were overwhelmingly victimized, accounting for 94% of illegal AI depictions in 2025
• Depictions of infants to toddlers rose from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Sector Response

The law change could "constitute a crucial step to ensure AI products are secure before they are released," stated the chief executive of the internet monitoring foundation.

"Artificial intelligence systems have made it so victims can be victimised repeatedly with just a few clicks, giving offenders the capability to make potentially endless quantities of sophisticated, photorealistic child sexual abuse material," she added. "Content which additionally exploits survivors' suffering, and makes children, particularly female children, more vulnerable on and off line."

Counseling Interaction Information

Childline also released details of support interactions where AI has been referenced. AI-related harms discussed in the conversations comprise:

• Using AI to rate body size, physique and looks
• Chatbots discouraging young people from talking to safe guardians about abuse
• Facing harassment online with AI-generated material
• Online blackmail using AI-faked images

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

Fifty percent of the references of AI in the 2025 interactions were related to mental health and wellbeing, encompassing using AI assistants for assistance and AI therapeutic applications.