🔗 Share this article

Technology companies and child safety organizations will be granted authority to assess whether AI systems can generate child abuse images under recently introduced UK laws.

Significant Increase in AI-Generated Illegal Material

The announcement came as findings from a protection watchdog showing that reports of AI-generated CSAM have more than doubled in the past year, rising from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025.

Updated Regulatory Framework

Under the changes, the authorities will allow approved AI companies and child protection organizations to examine AI systems – the underlying systems for chatbots and image generators – and ensure they have sufficient safeguards to stop them from producing images of child exploitation.

"Ultimately about stopping exploitation before it occurs," stated the minister for AI and online safety, noting: "Specialists, under strict conditions, can now detect the danger in AI models early."

Tackling Regulatory Obstacles

The amendments have been introduced because it is against the law to produce and own CSAM, meaning that AI developers and others cannot generate such content as part of a evaluation regime. Previously, authorities had to delay action until AI-generated CSAM was uploaded online before dealing with it.

This law is aimed at averting that problem by enabling to halt the production of those materials at source.

Legislative Structure

The amendments are being added by the government as modifications to the criminal justice legislation, which is also establishing a prohibition on possessing, producing or sharing AI systems designed to generate exploitative content.

Practical Impact

This recently, the minister visited the London base of Childline and listened to a mock-up call to counsellors featuring a report of AI-based abuse. The call portrayed a adolescent seeking help after being blackmailed using a explicit AI-generated image of themselves, created using AI.

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

Concerning Statistics

A prominent online safety organization stated that cases of AI-generated exploitation content – such as webpages that may contain multiple files – had significantly increased so far this year.

Cases of the most severe content – the most serious form of abuse – increased from 2,621 visual files to 3,086.

• Female children were predominantly victimized, making up 94% of prohibited AI depictions in 2025
• Depictions of newborns to two-year-olds increased from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Industry Reaction

The law change could "represent a crucial step to ensure AI tools are secure before they are launched," stated the chief executive of the online safety foundation.

"Artificial intelligence systems have made it so victims can be victimised repeatedly with just a simple actions, giving criminals the capability to make potentially endless quantities of sophisticated, photorealistic child sexual abuse material," she added. "Content which additionally exploits survivors' suffering, and makes young people, especially female children, less safe both online and offline."

Support Session Information

Childline also released details of support interactions where AI has been referenced. AI-related risks discussed in the conversations include:

• Using AI to evaluate body size, physique and appearance
• Chatbots discouraging young people from talking to safe adults about abuse
• Facing harassment online with AI-generated material
• Digital blackmail using AI-manipulated images

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

Fifty percent of the mentions of AI in the 2025 sessions were connected with psychological wellbeing and wellness, including using AI assistants for support and AI therapy applications.