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Technology companies and child safety organizations will be granted permission to evaluate whether artificial intelligence systems can generate child abuse images under new UK laws.

Significant Rise in AI-Generated Harmful Material

The declaration came as findings from a safety monitoring body showing that reports of AI-generated child sexual abuse material have increased dramatically in the last twelve months, rising from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025.

Updated Legal Framework

Under the changes, the government will permit designated AI developers and child protection groups to inspect AI systems – the underlying systems for conversational AI and visual AI tools – and verify they have sufficient protective measures to prevent them from creating images of child sexual abuse.

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

Addressing Legal Obstacles

The changes have been implemented because it is illegal to produce and possess CSAM, meaning that AI developers and others cannot create such images as part of a evaluation process. Until now, officials had to wait until AI-generated CSAM was published online before dealing with it.

This law is designed to preventing that issue by enabling to stop the production of those images at their origin.

Legal Structure

The amendments are being introduced by the government as revisions to the criminal justice legislation, which is also establishing a prohibition on owning, producing or sharing AI models developed to generate child sexual abuse material.

Real-World Impact

This week, the minister visited the London base of a children's helpline and heard a simulated 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 himself, constructed using AI.

"When I learn about children facing extortion online, it is a source of extreme anger in me and rightful concern amongst families," he stated.

Concerning Data

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

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

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

Sector Reaction

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

"Artificial intelligence systems have made it so victims can be victimised repeatedly with just a few clicks, giving criminals the ability to create possibly endless amounts of sophisticated, lifelike exploitative content," she added. "Material which further commodifies victims' trauma, and makes children, particularly female children, more vulnerable both online and offline."

Support Session Data

The children's helpline also released information of support sessions where AI has been mentioned. AI-related risks mentioned in the sessions include:

• Using AI to evaluate body size, body and looks
• Chatbots discouraging young people from consulting trusted adults about harm
• Facing harassment online with AI-generated material
• Digital extortion using AI-faked images

During April and September this year, the helpline conducted 367 support sessions where AI, conversational AI and related terms were discussed, significantly more as many as in the same period last year.

Fifty percent of the references of AI in the 2025 interactions were related to mental health and wellbeing, encompassing utilizing AI assistants for support and AI therapy applications.