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Tech firms and child protection agencies will be granted authority to assess whether AI systems can produce child exploitation material under recently introduced British legislation.

Substantial Rise in AI-Generated Harmful Content

The declaration came as revelations from a safety watchdog showing that cases of AI-generated CSAM have increased dramatically in the past year, growing from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025.

New Legal Framework

Under the changes, the government will permit designated AI companies and child safety groups to examine AI models – the foundational systems for conversational AI and image generators – and ensure they have sufficient safeguards to stop them from producing images of child exploitation.

"Fundamentally about stopping abuse before it happens," stated the minister for AI and online safety, noting: "Experts, under rigorous protocols, can now detect the risk in AI models promptly."

Addressing Legal Obstacles

The amendments have been implemented because it is against the law to produce and possess CSAM, meaning that AI creators and other parties cannot create such content as part of a testing regime. Until now, officials had to delay action until AI-generated CSAM was uploaded online before addressing it.

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

Legislative Framework

The changes are being added by the authorities as modifications to the crime and policing bill, which is also establishing a ban on possessing, creating or sharing AI models designed to create exploitative content.

Real-World Consequences

This week, the minister toured the London base of Childline and heard a mock-up call to advisors featuring a account of AI-based abuse. The interaction portrayed a teenager requesting help after facing extortion using a explicit deepfake of themselves, created using AI.

"When I learn about young people facing extortion online, it is a source of extreme anger in me and rightful anger amongst parents," he said.

Alarming Data

A leading internet monitoring organization stated that cases of AI-generated exploitation content – such as webpages that may contain multiple files – had more than doubled so far this year.

Instances of category A material – the gravest form of abuse – increased from 2,621 images or videos to 3,086.

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

Sector Response

The legislative amendment could "represent a crucial step to guarantee AI products are safe before they are released," stated the head of the internet monitoring foundation.

"AI tools have made it so survivors can be victimised all over again with just a simple actions, giving criminals the ability to make potentially limitless amounts of sophisticated, lifelike child sexual abuse material," she continued. "Content which additionally exploits victims' suffering, and renders young people, especially girls, more vulnerable on and off line."

Counseling Interaction Information

The children's helpline also published information of counselling interactions where AI has been referenced. AI-related harms discussed in the sessions include:

• Employing AI to rate body size, body and appearance
• AI assistants discouraging children from consulting safe guardians about abuse
• Being bullied online with AI-generated material
• Digital extortion using AI-faked images

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

Half of the references of AI in the 2025 interactions were related to mental health and wellness, including utilizing chatbots for assistance and AI therapy applications.