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Technology companies and child safety organizations will receive authority to evaluate whether AI systems can produce child exploitation images under recently introduced UK legislation.

Substantial Increase in AI-Generated Harmful Material

The declaration came as findings from a protection watchdog showing that cases of AI-generated child sexual abuse material have increased dramatically in the past year, rising from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025.

New Legal Framework

Under the amendments, the government will allow approved AI companies and child protection groups to examine AI systems – the underlying technology for chatbots and image generators – and verify they have adequate protective measures to prevent them from producing images of child exploitation.

"Fundamentally about stopping exploitation before it occurs," stated Kanishka Narayan, adding: "Specialists, under strict protocols, can now detect the danger in AI models early."

Tackling Regulatory Obstacles

The amendments have been implemented because it is against the law to produce and own CSAM, meaning that AI creators and other parties cannot create such images as part of a evaluation process. Until now, authorities had to wait until AI-generated CSAM was published online before addressing it.

This legislation is aimed at averting that problem by helping to stop the creation of those images at source.

Legal Framework

The changes are being added by the government as modifications to the criminal justice legislation, which is also implementing a prohibition on possessing, producing or distributing AI models designed to create child sexual abuse material.

Practical Impact

This recently, the minister toured the London base of a children's helpline and listened to a simulated conversation to counsellors involving a account of AI-based exploitation. The call portrayed a adolescent requesting help after being blackmailed using a explicit AI-generated image of himself, created using AI.

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

Alarming Statistics

A prominent online safety foundation reported that cases of AI-generated abuse material – such as online pages that may contain multiple images – had more than doubled so far this year.

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

• Girls were predominantly victimized, accounting for 94% of prohibited AI images in 2025
• Portrayals of infants to two-year-olds rose from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Sector Reaction

The legislative amendment could "constitute a vital step to ensure AI products are safe before they are released," commented the head of the internet monitoring foundation.

"Artificial intelligence systems have enabled so survivors can be victimised repeatedly with just a simple actions, giving criminals the ability to create potentially limitless amounts of advanced, photorealistic exploitative content," she added. "Material which additionally exploits survivors' trauma, and renders young people, especially girls, more vulnerable both online and offline."

Counseling Session Information

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

• Using AI to evaluate body size, body and appearance
• AI assistants dissuading children from talking to trusted guardians about abuse
• Facing harassment online with AI-generated material
• Online blackmail using AI-faked images

Between April and September this year, the helpline delivered 367 counselling interactions where AI, conversational AI and related terms were discussed, four times as many as in the same period last year.

Half of the references of AI in the 2025 sessions were related to mental health and wellness, including using AI assistants for support and AI therapeutic apps.