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Tech firms and child protection agencies will receive authority to evaluate whether artificial intelligence tools can generate child abuse images under new UK legislation.

Substantial Rise in AI-Generated Harmful Material

The announcement came as revelations from a protection monitoring body 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.

New Legal Structure

Under the amendments, the authorities will allow approved AI companies and child safety groups to examine AI models – the foundational systems for conversational AI and image generators – and ensure they have adequate safeguards to prevent them from producing depictions of child exploitation.

"Fundamentally about stopping abuse before it happens," stated the minister for AI and online safety, noting: "Experts, under strict protocols, can now detect the danger in AI models promptly."

Addressing Legal Obstacles

The amendments have been introduced because it is against the law to produce and possess CSAM, meaning that AI creators and other parties cannot create such content as part of a evaluation process. Until now, officials had to wait until AI-generated CSAM was uploaded online before addressing it.

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

Legislative Framework

The changes are being added by the government as revisions to the criminal justice legislation, which is also implementing a prohibition on owning, creating or distributing AI systems designed to create exploitative content.

Real-World Impact

This recently, the official toured the London base of a children's helpline and heard a simulated call to advisors involving a account of AI-based exploitation. The interaction portrayed a teenager requesting help after being blackmailed using a sexualised AI-generated image of himself, constructed using AI.

"When I hear about children experiencing extortion online, it is a source of intense frustration in me and justified anger amongst parents," he said.

Concerning Data

A prominent internet monitoring foundation reported that instances of AI-generated exploitation material – such as webpages that may contain numerous images – had more than doubled so far this year.

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

• Girls were predominantly targeted, accounting for 94% of prohibited AI images in 2025
• Depictions of newborns to toddlers rose from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Industry Response

The law change could "represent a vital step to guarantee AI products are secure before they are released," commented the head of the online safety foundation.

"AI tools have made it so victims can be victimised repeatedly with just a few clicks, providing criminals the ability to create potentially limitless quantities of advanced, lifelike exploitative content," she added. "Content which additionally commodifies survivors' trauma, and renders young people, particularly girls, more vulnerable both online and offline."

Support Interaction Information

Childline also released information of support sessions where AI has been mentioned. AI-related risks discussed in the sessions comprise:

• Using AI to rate body size, body and looks
• Chatbots discouraging children from talking to trusted guardians about harm
• Being bullied online with AI-generated material
• Digital extortion using AI-manipulated images

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

Fifty percent of the mentions of AI in the 2025 sessions were related to mental health and wellness, including using chatbots for assistance and AI therapy applications.