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Tech firms and child protection organizations will receive authority to evaluate whether AI tools can generate child exploitation images under recently introduced British laws.

Substantial Rise in AI-Generated Harmful Material

The declaration came as findings from a safety monitoring body showing that reports of AI-generated CSAM 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 permit approved AI companies and child protection groups to examine AI models – the underlying systems for chatbots and image generators – and verify they have adequate protective measures to stop them from creating images of child sexual abuse.

"Ultimately about preventing exploitation before it occurs," stated the minister for AI and online safety, adding: "Experts, under rigorous protocols, can now detect the risk in AI models promptly."

Tackling Regulatory Challenges

The amendments have been introduced because it is illegal to create and own 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 uploaded online before addressing it.

This legislation is designed to preventing that problem by enabling to stop the production of those materials at their origin.

Legislative Structure

The amendments are being introduced by the government as revisions to the crime and policing bill, which is also implementing a prohibition on possessing, creating or sharing AI models designed to create child sexual abuse material.

Practical Consequences

This recently, the official visited the London base of Childline and heard a simulated call to counsellors featuring a report of AI-based exploitation. The call depicted a adolescent seeking help after facing extortion using a explicit deepfake of himself, created using AI.

"When I hear about young people facing extortion online, it is a source of extreme frustration in me and rightful concern amongst families," he stated.

Concerning Data

A leading online safety foundation reported that instances of AI-generated abuse content – such as webpages that may contain multiple images – had more than doubled so far this year.

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

• Girls were overwhelmingly targeted, making up 94% of illegal AI images in 2025
• Portrayals of infants to toddlers increased from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Sector Reaction

The legislative amendment could "constitute a crucial step to ensure AI products are safe before they are released," stated the chief executive of the internet monitoring foundation.

"AI tools have enabled so victims can be victimised repeatedly with just a few clicks, providing criminals the capability to make potentially limitless amounts of sophisticated, lifelike child sexual abuse material," she continued. "Material which additionally exploits victims' trauma, and makes children, especially female children, more vulnerable on and off line."

Support Session Information

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

• Using AI to evaluate weight, physique and looks
• Chatbots dissuading young people from talking to safe guardians about abuse
• Facing harassment online with AI-generated content
• Online extortion using AI-faked pictures

During April and September this year, the helpline conducted 367 support interactions where AI, conversational AI and related topics were mentioned, significantly more as many as in the equivalent timeframe last year.

Half of the references of AI in the 2025 sessions were related to mental health and wellness, including using chatbots for support and AI therapy applications.