Technology companies and child safety agencies will receive permission to evaluate whether AI tools can produce child exploitation material under recently introduced UK legislation.
Significant Rise in AI-Generated Harmful Material
The announcement coincided with findings from a protection watchdog showing that cases of AI-generated CSAM have more than doubled in the past year, growing from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025.
Updated Regulatory Structure
Under the changes, the government will permit approved AI companies and child safety groups to examine AI models – the underlying systems for conversational AI and image generators – and ensure they have sufficient safeguards to stop them from creating depictions of child sexual abuse.
"Fundamentally about stopping abuse before it happens," declared Kanishka Narayan, adding: "Experts, under rigorous protocols, can now detect the risk in AI models promptly."
Addressing Regulatory Obstacles
The changes have been implemented because it is illegal to produce and possess CSAM, meaning that AI creators and others cannot generate such images as part of a evaluation regime. Previously, authorities had to wait until AI-generated CSAM was published online before dealing with it.
This legislation is designed to averting that issue by enabling to stop the creation of those images at their origin.
Legal Framework
The changes are being added by the authorities as modifications to the crime and policing bill, which is also establishing a ban on owning, creating or distributing AI models developed to create child sexual abuse material.
Practical Impact
This week, the minister toured the London base of a children's helpline and heard a simulated conversation to counsellors involving a account of AI-based exploitation. The interaction depicted a adolescent requesting help after facing extortion using a sexualised AI-generated image of himself, constructed using AI.
"When I hear about young people facing blackmail online, it is a cause of intense anger in me and rightful concern amongst parents," he said.
Alarming Statistics
A leading online safety foundation stated that cases of AI-generated exploitation material – such as online pages that may include multiple files – had significantly increased so far this year.
Instances of the most severe material – the gravest form of abuse – increased from 2,621 images or videos to 3,086.
- Girls were predominantly targeted, making up 94% of illegal AI depictions in 2025
- Depictions of newborns to two-year-olds rose from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025
Industry Response
The legislative amendment could "represent a crucial step to ensure AI products are secure before they are released," stated the chief executive of the internet monitoring organization.
"AI tools have made it so survivors can be victimised repeatedly with just a simple actions, providing criminals the ability to make possibly endless amounts of sophisticated, lifelike exploitative content," she added. "Material which further exploits survivors' suffering, and renders young people, particularly female children, more vulnerable both online and offline."
Counseling Session Information
Childline also published details of support interactions where AI has been mentioned. AI-related harms discussed in the conversations include:
- Using AI to evaluate body size, physique and looks
- AI assistants dissuading young people from consulting trusted guardians about abuse
- Facing harassment online with AI-generated material
- Digital extortion using AI-faked images
Between April and September this year, the helpline conducted 367 counselling sessions where AI, conversational AI and associated topics were discussed, four times as many as in the equivalent timeframe last year.
Fifty percent of the references of AI in the 2025 interactions were related to psychological wellbeing and wellness, encompassing utilizing AI assistants for assistance and AI therapy apps.
