🔗 Share this article

Technology companies and child safety organizations will receive permission to assess whether artificial intelligence systems can generate child abuse material under new British legislation.

Substantial Rise in AI-Generated Harmful Material

The announcement coincided with findings from a protection watchdog showing that reports of AI-generated CSAM have more than doubled in the last twelve months, rising from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025.

Updated Regulatory Structure

Under the amendments, the government will allow designated AI companies and child protection groups to inspect AI systems – the foundational technology for chatbots and image generators – and ensure they have adequate safeguards to prevent them from producing images of child exploitation.

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

Addressing Regulatory Challenges

The amendments have been implemented because it is against the law to produce and possess CSAM, meaning that AI creators and others cannot create such images as part of a evaluation process. Previously, officials had to wait until AI-generated CSAM was uploaded online before dealing with it.

This law is designed to averting that problem by helping to stop the production of those materials at their origin.

Legal Structure

The changes are being added by the authorities as modifications to the crime and policing bill, which is also establishing a prohibition on owning, creating or distributing AI systems designed to create child sexual abuse material.

Real-World Impact

This week, the minister toured the London headquarters of a children's helpline and listened to a simulated conversation to counsellors involving a report of AI-based exploitation. The call depicted a teenager requesting help after being blackmailed using a explicit AI-generated image of themselves, created using AI.

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

Concerning Statistics

A prominent online safety foundation reported that cases of AI-generated exploitation content – such as online pages that may contain multiple files – had significantly increased so far this year.

Cases of the most severe content – the gravest form of exploitation – rose from 2,621 images or videos to 3,086.

• Female children were overwhelmingly victimized, accounting for 94% of prohibited AI depictions 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 tools are secure before they are released," stated the head of the online safety foundation.

"AI tools have enabled so survivors can be targeted all over again with just a few clicks, providing offenders the ability to create possibly endless amounts of sophisticated, lifelike child sexual abuse material," she continued. "Material which additionally exploits victims' trauma, and renders children, especially girls, more vulnerable on and off line."

Support Interaction Data

The children's helpline also released information of counselling interactions where AI has been mentioned. AI-related risks mentioned in the sessions include:

• Employing AI to rate weight, physique and looks
• Chatbots dissuading young people from consulting trusted adults about abuse
• Facing harassment online with AI-generated content
• Digital extortion using AI-faked images

During April and September this year, Childline delivered 367 counselling sessions where AI, chatbots and associated topics were mentioned, four times 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 wellbeing, including using AI assistants for support and AI therapy apps.