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Tech firms and child safety agencies will receive authority to evaluate whether AI systems can generate child exploitation images under new British laws.

Significant Rise in AI-Generated Illegal Material

The announcement came as findings from a protection monitoring body showing that reports of AI-generated CSAM have increased dramatically in the past year, rising from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025.

Updated Legal Framework

Under the changes, the government will permit designated AI developers and child protection organizations to inspect AI systems – the foundational systems for conversational AI and visual AI tools – and ensure they have sufficient safeguards to stop them from creating depictions of child sexual abuse.

"Ultimately about stopping exploitation before it occurs," declared Kanishka Narayan, noting: "Specialists, under strict conditions, can now detect the risk in AI systems promptly."

Addressing Regulatory Challenges

The amendments have been introduced because it is illegal to produce and own CSAM, meaning that AI developers and others cannot create such images as part of a evaluation process. Previously, authorities had to delay action until AI-generated CSAM was uploaded online before dealing with it.

This law is designed to averting that issue by enabling to stop the creation of those images at source.

Legislative Structure

The changes are being added by the authorities as modifications to the criminal justice legislation, which is also establishing a ban on possessing, creating or distributing AI models developed to create child sexual abuse material.

Real-World Consequences

This week, the minister toured the London base of a children's helpline and listened to a mock-up conversation to advisors featuring a report of AI-based exploitation. The interaction depicted a adolescent seeking help after being blackmailed using a sexualised AI-generated image of themselves, created using AI.

"When I hear about children facing extortion online, it is a source of intense anger in me and justified concern amongst families," he said.

Concerning Statistics

A prominent internet monitoring organization stated that instances of AI-generated exploitation material – such as webpages that may include multiple images – had significantly increased so far this year.

Instances of category A material – the gravest form of exploitation – increased from 2,621 images or videos to 3,086.

• Female children were predominantly victimized, accounting for 94% of illegal AI depictions in 2025
• Depictions of newborns to toddlers increased from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Sector Reaction

The law change could "represent a vital step to ensure AI tools are safe before they are released," stated the head of the online safety organization.

"Artificial intelligence systems have enabled so victims can be victimised repeatedly with just a few clicks, providing criminals the ability to make potentially endless amounts of sophisticated, lifelike child sexual abuse material," she continued. "Material which additionally exploits victims' suffering, and makes young people, particularly girls, less safe on and off line."

Support Interaction Information

Childline also released information of counselling sessions where AI has been referenced. AI-related harms discussed in the conversations comprise:

• Employing AI to rate body size, body and looks
• Chatbots dissuading young people from consulting trusted adults about harm
• Facing harassment online with AI-generated material
• Online extortion using AI-faked pictures

During April and September this year, the helpline conducted 367 support sessions where AI, conversational AI and related terms were discussed, significantly more as many as in the same period last year.

Half of the references of AI in the 2025 interactions were related to mental health and wellbeing, including using AI assistants for assistance and AI therapy applications.