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Technology companies and child protection organizations will be granted authority to evaluate whether artificial intelligence tools can generate child abuse material under recently introduced British legislation.

Substantial Rise in AI-Generated Illegal Content

The announcement coincided with revelations from a protection monitoring body showing that reports of AI-generated child sexual abuse material have more than doubled in the last twelve months, rising from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025.

New Regulatory Framework

Under the amendments, the government will allow designated AI developers and child safety groups to examine AI systems – the underlying technology for conversational AI and image generators – and verify they have sufficient safeguards to prevent them from creating depictions of child exploitation.

"Fundamentally about stopping abuse before it happens," declared Kanishka Narayan, noting: "Specialists, under strict protocols, can now detect the danger in AI systems promptly."

Tackling Regulatory Challenges

The changes have been introduced because it is illegal to produce and possess CSAM, meaning that AI developers and others cannot generate such content as part of a evaluation regime. Until now, authorities had to wait until AI-generated CSAM was published online before addressing it.

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

Legal Framework

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

Real-World Consequences

This week, the minister visited the London headquarters of Childline and heard a simulated conversation to counsellors involving a report of AI-based exploitation. The call depicted a adolescent requesting help after facing extortion using a sexualised deepfake of himself, constructed using AI.

"When I hear about children facing blackmail online, it is a source of extreme anger in me and rightful anger amongst families," he stated.

Alarming Data

A prominent internet monitoring organization reported that instances of AI-generated exploitation material – such as webpages that may contain multiple files – had significantly increased so far this year.

Instances of category A content – the gravest form of exploitation – rose from 2,621 visual files to 3,086.

• Girls were predominantly victimized, making up 94% of prohibited AI depictions in 2025
• Portrayals of infants to two-year-olds rose from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Industry Reaction

The legislative amendment could "represent a crucial step to guarantee AI products are safe before they are launched," commented the chief executive of the online safety organization.

"AI tools have enabled so victims can be targeted repeatedly with just a simple actions, providing offenders the ability to make possibly limitless amounts of advanced, lifelike child sexual abuse material," she continued. "Material which additionally exploits survivors' suffering, and renders children, especially girls, more vulnerable both online and offline."

Counseling Session Data

Childline also published details of support interactions where AI has been referenced. AI-related risks discussed in the sessions comprise:

• Using AI to rate body size, physique and appearance
• AI assistants dissuading young people from talking to safe guardians about harm
• Facing harassment online with AI-generated content
• Digital blackmail using AI-manipulated images

Between April and September this year, Childline delivered 367 support sessions where AI, chatbots and associated terms 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, including utilizing chatbots for assistance and AI therapy apps.