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Tech firms and child protection organizations will be granted permission to evaluate whether artificial intelligence systems can produce child abuse images under recently introduced UK legislation.

Substantial Increase in AI-Generated Harmful Material

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

Updated Legal Structure

Under the changes, the government will allow designated AI developers and child safety groups to examine AI models – the underlying systems for conversational AI and visual AI tools – and ensure they have adequate protective measures to stop them from creating depictions of child sexual abuse.

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

Tackling Legal Obstacles

The changes have been introduced because it is against the law to produce and possess CSAM, meaning that AI developers and others cannot create such images as part of a testing process. Previously, authorities had to wait until AI-generated CSAM was published online before addressing it.

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

Legislative Framework

The changes are being added by the government as modifications to the crime and policing bill, which is also implementing a prohibition on possessing, producing or distributing AI systems developed to generate exploitative content.

Real-World Consequences

This week, the minister toured the London base of Childline and listened to a simulated conversation to advisors featuring a report of AI-based abuse. The interaction depicted a adolescent requesting help after facing extortion using a sexualised AI-generated image of themselves, created using AI.

"When I hear about children facing extortion online, it is a source of intense frustration in me and justified anger amongst families," he said.

Alarming Statistics

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

Cases of the most severe material – the most serious form of abuse – rose 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 toddlers increased from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Industry Reaction

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

"AI tools have made it so victims can be targeted all over again with just a few clicks, giving offenders the capability to make possibly limitless amounts of sophisticated, photorealistic exploitative content," she added. "Content which additionally exploits survivors' suffering, and makes young people, especially girls, less safe both online and offline."

Support Session Data

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

• Employing AI to rate weight, body and appearance
• AI assistants dissuading children from talking to safe guardians about abuse
• Being bullied online with AI-generated material
• Online blackmail using AI-manipulated images

During April and September this year, the helpline delivered 367 counselling sessions where AI, chatbots and associated topics were mentioned, four times as many as in the same period last year.

Half of the mentions of AI in the 2025 interactions were connected with psychological wellbeing and wellness, including utilizing AI assistants for support and AI therapy applications.