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Technology companies and child protection organizations will receive authority to evaluate whether AI systems can produce child abuse material under new UK legislation.

Substantial Increase in AI-Generated Harmful Content

The declaration coincided with findings from a safety monitoring body showing that cases of AI-generated CSAM have more than doubled in the past year, rising from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025.

New Legal Framework

Under the amendments, the government will allow designated AI companies and child protection groups to inspect AI systems – the foundational systems for conversational AI and image generators – and verify they have sufficient protective measures to stop them from creating depictions of child exploitation.

"Fundamentally about stopping abuse before it happens," declared the minister for AI and online safety, noting: "Experts, under rigorous conditions, can now detect the danger in AI models promptly."

Tackling Legal Challenges

The changes have been introduced because it is illegal to produce and own CSAM, meaning that AI developers and others cannot generate such images as part of a testing regime. Until now, authorities had to delay action until AI-generated CSAM was uploaded online before addressing it.

This law is aimed at preventing that issue by helping to halt the production of those materials at their origin.

Legal Structure

The changes are being added by the authorities as revisions to the criminal justice legislation, which is also implementing a prohibition on possessing, producing or sharing AI models developed to generate child sexual abuse material.

Practical Impact

This recently, the official toured the London base of a children's helpline and heard a simulated conversation to advisors involving a report of AI-based abuse. The interaction portrayed a teenager seeking 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 justified concern amongst parents," he said.

Concerning Data

A leading online safety organization reported that instances of AI-generated abuse content – such as online pages that may include multiple files – had more than doubled so far this year.

Instances of the most severe material – the most serious form of abuse – rose from 2,621 images or videos to 3,086.

• Female children were overwhelmingly victimized, making up 94% of prohibited AI images in 2025
• Depictions of infants to toddlers rose from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Industry Reaction

The legislative amendment could "represent a vital step to guarantee AI tools are secure before they are launched," commented the head of the internet monitoring foundation.

"Artificial intelligence systems have enabled so victims can be victimised all over again with just a few clicks, providing offenders the capability to make possibly endless amounts of sophisticated, lifelike exploitative content," she continued. "Material which additionally exploits victims' trauma, and makes young people, especially girls, less safe both online and offline."

Support Session Information

Childline also released details of counselling interactions where AI has been mentioned. AI-related harms mentioned in the conversations comprise:

• Using AI to evaluate weight, physique and appearance
• Chatbots dissuading young people from talking to trusted guardians about abuse
• Facing harassment online with AI-generated material
• Online blackmail using AI-manipulated images

During April and September this year, Childline conducted 367 support interactions where AI, conversational AI and related terms were mentioned, four times as many as in the same period last year.

Fifty percent of the references of AI in the 2025 sessions were connected with psychological wellbeing and wellness, encompassing utilizing AI assistants for support and AI therapy applications.