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Technology companies and child protection organizations will receive authority to assess whether artificial intelligence tools can produce child abuse images under recently introduced British legislation.

Substantial Increase in AI-Generated Illegal Content

The announcement coincided with findings from a protection watchdog showing that cases of AI-generated child sexual abuse material have more than doubled in the past year, rising from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025.

Updated Regulatory Structure

Under the changes, the government will allow approved AI companies and child protection groups to inspect AI systems – the foundational systems for conversational AI and visual AI tools – and verify they have adequate protective measures to prevent them from producing images of child sexual abuse.

"Fundamentally about preventing exploitation before it occurs," stated the minister for AI and online safety, noting: "Specialists, under strict protocols, can now detect the danger in AI models promptly."

Tackling Regulatory Obstacles

The amendments have been implemented because it is illegal to create and own CSAM, meaning that AI developers and other parties cannot create such images as part of a testing regime. Previously, authorities had to delay action until AI-generated CSAM was published online before dealing with it.

This law is aimed at averting that problem by helping to stop the production of those images at their origin.

Legislative Framework

The changes are being introduced by the authorities as modifications to the crime and policing bill, which is also implementing a prohibition on possessing, creating or distributing AI models designed to generate child sexual abuse material.

Real-World Impact

This recently, the official toured the London base of a children's helpline and listened to a mock-up call to advisors featuring a account of AI-based abuse. The interaction portrayed a adolescent seeking help after facing extortion using a explicit deepfake of themselves, constructed using AI.

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

Alarming Statistics

A prominent internet monitoring foundation stated that instances of AI-generated exploitation content – such as online pages that may contain numerous files – had more than doubled so far this year.

Instances of the most severe material – the most serious form of exploitation – increased from 2,621 images or videos to 3,086.

• Girls were overwhelmingly targeted, accounting for 94% of prohibited AI images in 2025
• Portrayals of newborns to toddlers increased from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Industry Response

The law change could "constitute a crucial step to ensure AI tools are secure before they are launched," commented the head of the online safety organization.

"Artificial intelligence systems have made it so victims can be targeted all over again with just a few clicks, giving criminals the capability to make potentially limitless amounts of sophisticated, lifelike child sexual abuse material," she added. "Material which additionally exploits survivors' suffering, and makes young people, particularly girls, more vulnerable both online and offline."

Counseling Session Information

Childline also released details of counselling sessions where AI has been referenced. AI-related risks mentioned in the conversations comprise:

• Using AI to evaluate weight, physique and looks
• Chatbots discouraging young people from talking to safe adults about harm
• Facing harassment online with AI-generated content
• Online extortion using AI-manipulated images

During April and September this year, the helpline delivered 367 support interactions where AI, chatbots and related terms were mentioned, significantly more as many as in the same period last year.

Fifty percent of the references of AI in the 2025 interactions were connected with psychological wellbeing and wellbeing, including using chatbots for assistance and AI therapeutic applications.