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Tech firms and child safety agencies will be granted authority to evaluate whether AI systems can produce child exploitation material under recently introduced UK laws.

Significant Rise in AI-Generated Harmful Content

The announcement coincided with revelations from a safety watchdog showing that cases of AI-generated CSAM have more than doubled in the last twelve months, growing from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025.

New Regulatory Structure

Under the changes, the authorities will allow designated AI companies and child safety organizations to inspect AI models – the foundational technology for conversational AI and image generators – and ensure they have adequate safeguards to stop them from creating depictions of child exploitation.

"Fundamentally about stopping abuse before it occurs," stated Kanishka Narayan, noting: "Specialists, under rigorous protocols, can now detect the danger in AI models early."

Addressing Legal Challenges

The changes have been implemented because it is against the law to produce and own CSAM, meaning that AI creators and others cannot create such images as part of a evaluation process. Until now, authorities had to delay action until AI-generated CSAM was published online before dealing with it.

This legislation is designed to preventing that issue by helping to stop the creation of those materials at source.

Legal Structure

The amendments are being introduced by the government as revisions to the crime and policing bill, which is also establishing a ban on possessing, producing or distributing AI models developed to generate child sexual abuse material.

Practical Impact

This week, the minister toured the London base of Childline and listened to a mock-up conversation to advisors featuring a report of AI-based abuse. The call depicted a adolescent requesting help after being blackmailed using a explicit AI-generated image of himself, constructed using AI.

"When I learn about children experiencing blackmail online, it is a cause of extreme frustration in me and rightful concern amongst parents," he said.

Alarming Statistics

A leading online safety foundation stated that cases of AI-generated exploitation content – such as online pages that may contain numerous images – had more than doubled so far this year.

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

• Female children were predominantly victimized, accounting for 94% of illegal AI images in 2025
• Portrayals of newborns to toddlers rose from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Sector Response

The law change could "constitute a crucial step to guarantee AI tools are safe before they are released," stated the head of the internet monitoring organization.

"Artificial intelligence systems have enabled so victims can be targeted all over again with just a few clicks, providing criminals the capability to make potentially limitless amounts of sophisticated, lifelike exploitative content," she added. "Material which further commodifies survivors' trauma, and renders young people, especially girls, more vulnerable both online and offline."

Counseling Session Data

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

• Using AI to rate body size, physique and looks
• AI assistants dissuading children from consulting trusted guardians about harm
• Facing harassment online with AI-generated material
• Digital extortion using AI-manipulated images

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

Half of the mentions of AI in the 2025 interactions were related to mental health and wellbeing, encompassing using AI assistants for support and AI therapy applications.