🔗 Share this article

Technology companies and child protection agencies will be granted authority to assess whether artificial intelligence systems can generate child exploitation images under new British legislation.

Substantial Increase in AI-Generated Illegal Material

The declaration coincided with revelations from a safety watchdog showing that reports of AI-generated CSAM have increased dramatically in the past year, growing from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025.

New Legal Structure

Under the changes, the government will permit designated AI developers and child safety organizations to examine AI systems – the underlying systems for conversational AI and image generators – and ensure they have adequate protective measures to prevent them from producing depictions of child sexual abuse.

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

Addressing Legal Obstacles

The amendments have been introduced because it is against the law to produce and possess CSAM, meaning that AI creators and others cannot generate such images as part of a evaluation regime. Until now, officials had to delay action until AI-generated CSAM was uploaded online before addressing it.

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

Legislative Structure

The changes are being added by the authorities as revisions to the criminal justice legislation, which is also establishing a ban on owning, creating or distributing AI systems developed to generate child sexual abuse material.

Practical Impact

This week, the minister toured the London base of Childline and heard a mock-up call to advisors featuring a account of AI-based abuse. The call portrayed a teenager seeking help after being blackmailed using a explicit deepfake of themselves, constructed using AI.

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

Concerning Data

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

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

• Female children were overwhelmingly targeted, making up 94% of illegal AI depictions in 2025
• Depictions of infants to two-year-olds increased from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Sector Response

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

"AI tools have made it so survivors can be targeted repeatedly with just a few clicks, giving criminals the capability to make potentially limitless quantities of sophisticated, lifelike child sexual abuse material," she continued. "Material which further exploits victims' trauma, and renders children, especially girls, more vulnerable both online and offline."

Support Interaction Data

Childline also published information of support interactions where AI has been referenced. AI-related risks discussed in the conversations include:

• Employing AI to evaluate body size, body and looks
• Chatbots discouraging young people from consulting trusted guardians about abuse
• Facing harassment online with AI-generated content
• Digital blackmail using AI-manipulated pictures

Between April and September this year, the helpline conducted 367 counselling sessions where AI, chatbots and associated terms 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 psychological wellbeing and wellness, encompassing utilizing AI assistants for assistance and AI therapy applications.