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Technology companies and child protection organizations will receive permission to evaluate whether artificial intelligence systems can generate child exploitation images under recently introduced British legislation.

Significant Increase in AI-Generated Harmful Content

The declaration coincided with findings from a safety monitoring body 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.

Updated Legal Framework

Under the changes, the authorities will allow designated AI companies and child safety groups to examine AI systems – the underlying systems for chatbots and image generators – and ensure they have adequate safeguards to stop them from producing images of child exploitation.

"Fundamentally about preventing abuse before it occurs," declared the minister for AI and online safety, noting: "Experts, under strict protocols, can now detect the danger in AI systems promptly."

Addressing Legal Challenges

The changes have been introduced because it is illegal to produce and own CSAM, meaning that AI creators and others cannot create such content as part of a testing process. Previously, officials had to delay action until AI-generated CSAM was published online before addressing it.

This law is designed to averting that problem by helping to halt the production of those images at their origin.

Legislative Structure

The changes are being added by the authorities as revisions to the crime and policing bill, which is also establishing a ban on owning, creating or distributing AI systems developed to generate exploitative content.

Real-World Impact

This week, the minister toured the London base of Childline and listened to a simulated call to advisors involving a report of AI-based exploitation. The call portrayed a teenager seeking help after being blackmailed using a sexualised deepfake of himself, constructed using AI.

"When I hear about children facing blackmail online, it is a cause of extreme frustration in me and rightful anger amongst parents," he stated.

Concerning Statistics

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

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

• Girls were predominantly targeted, making up 94% of prohibited AI depictions in 2025
• Portrayals of infants to toddlers rose from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Industry Reaction

The law change could "constitute a vital step to guarantee AI products are safe before they are launched," stated the chief executive of the internet monitoring foundation.

"AI tools have made it so survivors can be victimised repeatedly with just a few clicks, giving criminals the capability to create possibly endless quantities of sophisticated, lifelike child sexual abuse material," she added. "Material which additionally commodifies survivors' suffering, and makes children, particularly female children, more vulnerable both online and offline."

Counseling Session Information

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

• Using AI to rate body size, body and appearance
• AI assistants dissuading young people from talking to trusted guardians about harm
• Being bullied online with AI-generated content
• Digital extortion using AI-manipulated images

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

Half of the references of AI in the 2025 interactions were connected with psychological wellbeing and wellbeing, encompassing utilizing chatbots for support and AI therapeutic apps.