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Technology companies and child safety agencies will receive permission to assess whether AI tools can generate child abuse images under recently introduced UK laws.

Significant Increase in AI-Generated Harmful Material

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

Updated Regulatory Framework

Under the amendments, the authorities will permit approved AI developers and child safety groups to inspect AI systems – the underlying technology for conversational AI and visual AI tools – and ensure they have sufficient safeguards to prevent them from creating depictions of child sexual abuse.

"Ultimately about stopping abuse before it happens," declared Kanishka Narayan, noting: "Experts, under strict protocols, can now identify the risk in AI models early."

Tackling Regulatory Obstacles

The changes have been introduced because it is illegal to produce and own CSAM, meaning that AI creators and others cannot generate such images as part of a testing process. Previously, authorities had to wait until AI-generated CSAM was uploaded online before dealing with it.

This legislation is aimed at preventing that issue by helping to halt the production of those materials at source.

Legislative Framework

The amendments are being added by the authorities as revisions to the crime and policing bill, which is also establishing a ban on owning, producing or sharing AI systems designed to create child sexual abuse material.

Real-World Consequences

This week, the minister visited the London base of Childline and heard a mock-up call to advisors involving a report of AI-based exploitation. The call depicted a teenager requesting help after facing extortion using a explicit deepfake of himself, created using AI.

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

Concerning Statistics

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

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

• Girls were overwhelmingly targeted, 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 Response

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

"AI tools have enabled so survivors can be targeted repeatedly with just a simple actions, giving criminals the ability to create potentially limitless amounts of sophisticated, photorealistic exploitative content," she continued. "Material which additionally exploits survivors' suffering, and makes young people, especially female children, more vulnerable both online and offline."

Counseling Session Data

Childline also released details of counselling interactions where AI has been referenced. AI-related harms mentioned in the sessions include:

• Using AI to evaluate body size, physique and appearance
• AI assistants dissuading children from consulting safe adults about abuse
• Facing harassment online with AI-generated content
• Online blackmail using AI-faked images

Between April and September this year, Childline delivered 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 wellbeing, including using chatbots for support and AI therapeutic apps.