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Tech firms and child safety agencies will be granted permission to assess whether AI systems can generate child abuse material under recently introduced British legislation.

Significant Increase in AI-Generated Illegal Material

The declaration coincided with findings from a safety 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 Regulatory Structure

Under the amendments, the government will allow approved AI companies and child safety groups to inspect AI models – the foundational technology for chatbots and visual AI tools – and verify they have sufficient protective measures to prevent them from creating depictions of child sexual abuse.

"Ultimately about preventing abuse before it happens," stated Kanishka Narayan, adding: "Specialists, under strict protocols, can now identify the danger in AI models promptly."

Addressing Regulatory Obstacles

The changes have been implemented because it is illegal to create and own CSAM, meaning that AI developers and other parties cannot generate such images as part of a evaluation regime. Until now, authorities had to wait until AI-generated CSAM was published online before addressing it.

This legislation is designed to averting that problem by helping to stop the production of those images at source.

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, creating or distributing AI systems developed to generate child sexual abuse material.

Practical Impact

This week, the official toured the London base of Childline and heard a mock-up call to counsellors involving a account of AI-based abuse. The call depicted a adolescent seeking help after being blackmailed using a sexualised deepfake of themselves, created using AI.

"When I learn about young people facing blackmail online, it is a source of intense frustration in me and rightful concern amongst parents," he said.

Alarming Statistics

A leading internet monitoring foundation stated that cases of AI-generated abuse material – such as online pages that may include numerous images – had more than doubled so far this year.

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

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

Sector Reaction

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

"Artificial intelligence systems have enabled so victims can be targeted all over again with just a few clicks, giving criminals the capability to make potentially endless quantities of advanced, lifelike exploitative content," she continued. "Content which additionally exploits victims' suffering, and makes children, especially female children, less safe on and off line."

Counseling Interaction Data

The children's helpline also released information of support interactions where AI has been mentioned. AI-related risks discussed in the conversations comprise:

• Employing AI to evaluate body size, body and looks
• Chatbots discouraging children from talking to safe guardians about harm
• Facing harassment online with AI-generated material
• Online blackmail using AI-faked pictures

Between April and September this year, the helpline conducted 367 support interactions where AI, chatbots and related terms were mentioned, four times as many as in the same period last year.

Fifty percent of the mentions of AI in the 2025 sessions were related to mental health and wellbeing, including using AI assistants for assistance and AI therapy apps.