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Technology companies and child protection organizations will be granted authority to assess whether artificial intelligence tools can produce child abuse material under recently introduced British laws.

Significant Increase in AI-Generated Illegal Material

The declaration came as revelations from a protection watchdog showing that cases of AI-generated CSAM have increased dramatically in the last twelve months, rising from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025.

New Legal Framework

Under the changes, the government will allow designated AI developers and child safety organizations to inspect AI models – the underlying technology for chatbots and visual AI tools – and ensure they have sufficient protective measures to stop them from creating images of child sexual abuse.

"Fundamentally about stopping abuse before it occurs," declared Kanishka Narayan, noting: "Experts, under strict conditions, can now detect the risk in AI models promptly."

Addressing Regulatory Obstacles

The changes have been implemented because it is against the law to produce and possess CSAM, meaning that AI creators and others cannot generate such images as part of a evaluation process. Previously, authorities had to delay action until AI-generated CSAM was uploaded online before addressing it.

This legislation is aimed at averting that issue by enabling to stop the creation of those images at their origin.

Legislative Framework

The changes are being added by the authorities as modifications to the criminal justice legislation, which is also implementing a prohibition on possessing, producing or sharing AI systems designed to create exploitative content.

Practical Impact

This week, the official toured the London base of Childline and heard a mock-up conversation to counsellors featuring a account of AI-based exploitation. The call portrayed a teenager requesting help after facing extortion using a sexualised deepfake of themselves, created using AI.

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

Alarming Data

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

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

• Girls were overwhelmingly victimized, making up 94% of illegal AI depictions in 2025
• Portrayals of newborns to toddlers rose from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Sector Response

The legislative amendment could "represent a vital step to ensure AI products are safe before they are launched," stated the head of the online safety organization.

"AI tools have enabled so survivors can be victimised all over again with just a few clicks, giving offenders the ability to make potentially limitless quantities of sophisticated, lifelike child sexual abuse material," she added. "Material which further exploits victims' suffering, and renders children, particularly girls, less safe on and off line."

Support Interaction Information

Childline also published details of support sessions where AI has been referenced. AI-related harms mentioned in the sessions include:

• Using AI to rate body size, physique and looks
• AI assistants discouraging young people from consulting trusted guardians about harm
• Facing harassment online with AI-generated material
• Online blackmail using AI-manipulated pictures

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

Half of the mentions of AI in the 2025 interactions were connected with mental health and wellbeing, including utilizing AI assistants for assistance and AI therapeutic applications.