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Technology companies and child safety organizations will receive permission to evaluate whether AI systems can produce child abuse images under recently introduced UK laws.

Substantial Increase in AI-Generated Harmful Material

The announcement came as revelations from a protection monitoring body showing that cases of AI-generated CSAM have increased dramatically in the last twelve months, growing from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025.

New Regulatory Structure

Under the changes, the authorities will allow designated AI companies and child safety organizations to examine AI systems – the foundational systems for chatbots and visual AI tools – and ensure they have adequate safeguards to stop them from creating images of child sexual abuse.

"Fundamentally about stopping abuse before it occurs," stated Kanishka Narayan, noting: "Experts, under strict conditions, can now identify the danger in AI models early."

Tackling Regulatory Obstacles

The changes have been introduced because it is illegal to create and possess CSAM, meaning that AI creators and other parties cannot generate such images as part of a testing regime. Previously, authorities had to delay action until AI-generated CSAM was published online before addressing it.

This legislation is designed to averting that problem by enabling to halt the production of those images at source.

Legislative Framework

The changes are being added by the authorities as modifications to the crime and policing bill, which is also implementing a ban on owning, producing or distributing AI models designed to create exploitative content.

Practical Impact

This week, the official visited the London base of Childline and listened to a simulated conversation to advisors involving a report of AI-based exploitation. The call depicted a teenager requesting help after being blackmailed using a sexualised deepfake of himself, created using AI.

"When I hear about children experiencing extortion online, it is a cause of extreme anger in me and rightful anger amongst families," he said.

Concerning Data

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

Instances of category A material – the most serious form of abuse – rose from 2,621 visual files to 3,086.

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

Sector Response

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

"AI tools have made it so survivors can be victimised all over again with just a few clicks, giving offenders the ability to create possibly endless quantities of advanced, lifelike exploitative content," she added. "Material which additionally commodifies victims' suffering, and makes young people, especially female children, less safe both online and offline."

Counseling Interaction Data

The children's helpline also released details of support sessions where AI has been mentioned. AI-related harms discussed in the sessions comprise:

• Employing AI to evaluate body size, physique and appearance
• AI assistants discouraging young people from talking to safe guardians about harm
• Facing harassment online with AI-generated content
• Digital extortion using AI-manipulated images

Between April and September this year, the helpline delivered 367 support interactions where AI, conversational AI and related terms were discussed, significantly more as many as in the equivalent timeframe last year.

Half of the mentions of AI in the 2025 interactions were related to mental health and wellness, encompassing utilizing chatbots for assistance and AI therapy applications.