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Tech firms and child safety agencies will receive permission to assess whether artificial intelligence tools can produce child exploitation material under recently introduced UK laws.

Substantial Rise in AI-Generated Illegal Material

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 Framework

Under the amendments, the authorities will allow approved AI developers and child protection organizations to examine AI systems – the foundational systems for chatbots and image generators – and verify they have adequate safeguards to prevent them from creating depictions of child sexual abuse.

"Fundamentally about stopping exploitation before it happens," declared the minister for AI and online safety, adding: "Specialists, under rigorous protocols, can now identify the risk in AI systems promptly."

Addressing Regulatory Challenges

The changes have been introduced because it is illegal to produce and own CSAM, meaning that AI developers and other parties cannot create such content as part of a evaluation process. Previously, officials had to wait until AI-generated CSAM was published online before dealing with it.

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

Legislative Structure

The changes are being added by the authorities as modifications to the criminal justice legislation, which is also implementing a ban on owning, producing or distributing AI models designed to generate child sexual abuse material.

Real-World Consequences

This recently, the minister visited the London headquarters of a children's helpline and heard a mock-up call to counsellors featuring a report of AI-based abuse. The call depicted a teenager seeking help after facing extortion using a sexualised AI-generated image of himself, created using AI.

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

Concerning Data

A leading online safety organization reported that cases of AI-generated abuse material – such as webpages that may contain numerous files – had more than doubled so far this year.

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

• Female children were overwhelmingly victimized, accounting for 94% of illegal AI depictions in 2025
• Portrayals of infants to two-year-olds increased from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Industry Reaction

The law change could "represent a vital step to guarantee AI products are secure before they are released," commented the chief executive of the internet monitoring organization.

"Artificial intelligence systems have made it so survivors can be targeted repeatedly with just a few clicks, giving offenders the capability to make potentially limitless quantities of advanced, photorealistic child sexual abuse material," she added. "Material which additionally commodifies victims' trauma, and makes children, particularly female children, more vulnerable both online and offline."

Counseling Session Data

The children's helpline also published information of counselling interactions where AI has been mentioned. AI-related harms mentioned in the conversations include:

• Using AI to rate body size, body and looks
• AI assistants discouraging children from talking to safe guardians about abuse
• Facing harassment online with AI-generated content
• Digital blackmail using AI-faked images

During April and September this year, the helpline delivered 367 counselling sessions where AI, conversational AI and associated terms were discussed, 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 mental health and wellbeing, including using AI assistants for assistance and AI therapy apps.