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Technology companies and child protection agencies will receive authority to evaluate whether artificial intelligence tools can produce child exploitation images under new UK laws.

Substantial Rise in AI-Generated Illegal Material

The declaration coincided with findings from a protection watchdog showing that cases of AI-generated child sexual abuse material have more than doubled in the last twelve months, rising from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025.

Updated Regulatory Framework

Under the changes, the government will permit approved AI developers and child protection organizations to inspect AI systems – the underlying systems for conversational AI and visual AI tools – and ensure they have adequate safeguards to stop them from creating depictions of child exploitation.

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

Addressing Legal Challenges

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

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

Legislative Framework

The changes are being added by the government as modifications to the crime and policing bill, which is also implementing a ban on owning, creating or distributing AI models designed to create child sexual abuse material.

Real-World Impact

This week, the official visited the London headquarters of Childline and listened to a simulated call to counsellors involving a account of AI-based abuse. The interaction portrayed a adolescent requesting help after facing extortion using a explicit AI-generated image of himself, constructed using AI.

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

Alarming Statistics

A prominent internet monitoring foundation reported that instances of AI-generated exploitation content – such as online pages that may contain multiple files – had significantly increased so far this year.

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

• Girls were predominantly victimized, making up 94% of illegal AI images in 2025
• Portrayals of infants to toddlers increased from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Industry Response

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

"AI tools have made it so victims can be targeted repeatedly with just a simple actions, giving offenders the capability to create potentially endless quantities of advanced, photorealistic exploitative content," she continued. "Content which further commodifies victims' suffering, and renders young people, particularly girls, more vulnerable both online and offline."

Support Session Data

Childline also released information of support interactions where AI has been referenced. AI-related harms mentioned in the sessions comprise:

• Using AI to rate weight, physique and appearance
• Chatbots dissuading young people from consulting trusted guardians about harm
• Facing harassment online with AI-generated content
• Online extortion using AI-faked pictures

Between April and September this year, Childline delivered 367 counselling sessions where AI, chatbots and associated terms were discussed, significantly more as many as in the equivalent timeframe last year.

Fifty percent of the mentions of AI in the 2025 interactions were connected with psychological wellbeing and wellbeing, including utilizing AI assistants for assistance and AI therapy apps.