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Tech firms and child protection organizations will be granted authority to evaluate whether artificial intelligence tools can produce child abuse images under new British laws.

Substantial Increase in AI-Generated Illegal Material

The announcement came as findings from a safety monitoring body 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 authorities will permit approved AI developers and child protection organizations to examine AI systems – the underlying systems for conversational AI and image generators – and verify they have adequate protective measures to prevent them from creating depictions of child sexual abuse.

"Fundamentally about preventing exploitation before it happens," stated Kanishka Narayan, noting: "Specialists, under strict conditions, can now detect the risk in AI systems early."

Addressing Regulatory Challenges

The amendments have been introduced because it is illegal to produce and possess CSAM, meaning that AI creators and others cannot create such content as part of a testing process. Previously, officials had to delay action until AI-generated CSAM was uploaded online before addressing it.

This law is designed to preventing that issue by helping to halt the creation of those images at their origin.

Legal Framework

The amendments are being introduced by the government as revisions to the criminal justice legislation, which is also establishing a prohibition on possessing, producing or distributing AI models designed to generate exploitative content.

Real-World Consequences

This week, the official toured the London base of a children's helpline and heard a simulated conversation to counsellors involving a report of AI-based abuse. The call portrayed a teenager seeking help after being blackmailed using a explicit deepfake of themselves, created using AI.

"When I learn about young people experiencing blackmail online, it is a cause of extreme frustration in me and rightful anger amongst parents," he said.

Alarming Statistics

A prominent online safety organization reported that cases of AI-generated exploitation content – such as webpages that may include numerous images – had more than doubled so far this year.

Instances of the most severe material – the gravest form of abuse – rose from 2,621 visual files to 3,086.

• Girls 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

Industry Reaction

The law change could "represent a crucial step to guarantee AI products are secure before they are released," commented the head of the online safety organization.

"Artificial intelligence systems have made it so victims can be targeted all over again with just a simple actions, giving criminals the capability to make potentially endless quantities of advanced, lifelike exploitative content," she added. "Content which additionally exploits survivors' suffering, and renders young people, especially girls, more vulnerable on and off line."

Support Interaction Data

The children's helpline also published details of support sessions where AI has been referenced. AI-related risks mentioned in the sessions comprise:

• Using AI to evaluate body size, body and appearance
• Chatbots dissuading children from consulting safe guardians about abuse
• Facing harassment online with AI-generated content
• Online extortion using AI-manipulated images

Between April and September this year, the helpline delivered 367 support sessions where AI, conversational AI and associated topics were discussed, significantly more as many as in the equivalent timeframe last year.

Half of the mentions of AI in the 2025 interactions were connected with mental health and wellness, encompassing utilizing chatbots for assistance and AI therapeutic applications.