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Tech firms and child protection organizations will be granted permission to assess whether AI tools can generate child abuse material under new UK legislation.

Significant Rise in AI-Generated Harmful Material

The declaration came as findings from a safety watchdog showing that reports of AI-generated CSAM have increased dramatically in the past year, growing from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025.

New Legal Framework

Under the changes, the government will allow approved AI companies and child protection organizations to examine AI models – the foundational systems for conversational AI and image generators – and verify they have adequate protective measures to prevent them from creating depictions of child sexual abuse.

"Ultimately about preventing exploitation before it occurs," stated Kanishka Narayan, adding: "Experts, under strict conditions, can now identify the risk in AI models promptly."

Addressing Legal Obstacles

The changes have been implemented because it is against the law to create and own CSAM, meaning that AI developers and other parties cannot create such content as part of a evaluation regime. Previously, authorities had to wait until AI-generated CSAM was uploaded online before addressing it.

This law is aimed at averting that issue by helping to stop the production of those images at source.

Legislative Framework

The changes are being added by the authorities as modifications to the criminal justice legislation, which is also implementing a prohibition on owning, producing or distributing AI models developed to generate exploitative content.

Practical Impact

This week, the minister visited the London base of Childline and heard a mock-up conversation to counsellors involving a account of AI-based abuse. The interaction depicted a adolescent seeking help after facing extortion using a sexualised deepfake of himself, created using AI.

"When I learn about young people experiencing extortion online, it is a cause of extreme frustration in me and justified concern amongst parents," he stated.

Alarming Statistics

A leading internet monitoring foundation reported that cases of AI-generated abuse material – such as online pages that may contain multiple images – had significantly increased so far this year.

Cases of the most severe content – the gravest form of abuse – rose from 2,621 visual files to 3,086.

• Female children were overwhelmingly victimized, accounting for 94% of illegal AI depictions in 2025
• Portrayals of newborns to two-year-olds increased from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Sector Reaction

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

"Artificial intelligence systems have made it so victims can be targeted all over again with just a simple actions, providing offenders the capability to create potentially limitless quantities of advanced, lifelike exploitative content," she added. "Material which further commodifies victims' suffering, and renders children, especially female children, more vulnerable both online and offline."

Support Interaction Data

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

• Employing AI to rate body size, body and appearance
• Chatbots dissuading children from talking to safe guardians about harm
• Being bullied online with AI-generated material
• Online blackmail using AI-manipulated pictures

During April and September this year, Childline delivered 367 counselling sessions where AI, conversational AI and associated terms were discussed, four times as many as in the same period last year.

Fifty percent of the references of AI in the 2025 sessions were related to mental health and wellness, encompassing utilizing AI assistants for support and AI therapy apps.