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Tech firms and child safety organizations will receive authority to assess whether AI tools can generate child exploitation images under recently introduced British legislation.

Substantial Increase in AI-Generated Illegal Material

The announcement came as revelations from a safety monitoring body showing that reports of AI-generated child sexual abuse material have increased dramatically in the last twelve months, rising from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025.

Updated Legal Framework

Under the amendments, the government will allow designated AI developers and child protection organizations to inspect AI models – the foundational systems for chatbots and visual AI tools – and verify they have adequate protective measures to stop them from producing depictions of child sexual abuse.

"Ultimately about stopping abuse before it happens," declared the minister for AI and online safety, adding: "Experts, under rigorous protocols, can now detect the risk in AI systems promptly."

Addressing Legal Obstacles

The changes have been introduced because it is against the law to create and own CSAM, meaning that AI developers and others cannot generate such content as part of a testing process. Previously, officials had to wait until AI-generated CSAM was published online before addressing it.

This legislation is designed to preventing that problem by enabling to halt the production of those images at their origin.

Legislative Framework

The changes are being introduced by the authorities as modifications to the crime and policing bill, which is also implementing a prohibition on possessing, creating or sharing AI systems developed to create exploitative content.

Real-World Impact

This week, the official toured the London base of a children's helpline and listened to a simulated call to counsellors involving a report of AI-based exploitation. The interaction depicted a adolescent seeking help after facing extortion using a sexualised AI-generated image of himself, constructed using AI.

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

Concerning Statistics

A leading online safety organization stated that cases of AI-generated abuse material – such as webpages that may contain multiple files – had more than doubled so far this year.

Cases of category A material – the most serious form of exploitation – rose from 2,621 images or videos to 3,086.

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

Sector Reaction

The legislative amendment could "constitute a crucial step to ensure AI tools are safe before they are launched," stated the head of the online safety foundation.

"AI tools have made it so survivors can be victimised all over again with just a simple actions, providing criminals the capability to make potentially limitless quantities of advanced, photorealistic exploitative content," she added. "Content which additionally commodifies survivors' trauma, and renders young people, especially girls, more vulnerable both online and offline."

Support Session Data

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

• Using AI to evaluate weight, physique and looks
• AI assistants dissuading young people from consulting trusted guardians about abuse
• Facing harassment online with AI-generated material
• Online blackmail using AI-faked pictures

During April and September this year, the helpline conducted 367 support interactions where AI, chatbots and associated topics were mentioned, significantly more as many as in the equivalent timeframe last year.

Half of the mentions of AI in the 2025 sessions were related to mental health and wellness, including using chatbots for support and AI therapeutic applications.