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Technology companies and child safety organizations will be granted authority to evaluate whether AI systems can generate child abuse images under new British legislation.

Substantial Rise in AI-Generated Illegal Material

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

Updated Regulatory Structure

Under the amendments, the authorities will permit designated AI developers and child protection groups to inspect AI models – the underlying systems for conversational AI and image generators – and ensure they have adequate safeguards to prevent them from creating depictions of child sexual abuse.

"Ultimately about preventing abuse before it occurs," stated the minister for AI and online safety, noting: "Specialists, under strict protocols, can now detect the danger in AI models promptly."

Addressing Legal Obstacles

The amendments have been introduced because it is against the law to produce and own CSAM, meaning that AI developers and others cannot create such content as part of a testing process. Until now, authorities had to delay action until AI-generated CSAM was published online before addressing it.

This legislation is aimed at preventing that problem by enabling to stop the creation of those images at source.

Legal Framework

The changes are being introduced by the authorities as modifications to the criminal justice legislation, which is also implementing a prohibition on possessing, producing or distributing AI models designed to create child sexual abuse material.

Practical Impact

This week, the minister toured the London base of a children's helpline and listened to a mock-up call to advisors involving a report of AI-based exploitation. The call depicted a teenager seeking 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 frustration in me and rightful anger amongst parents," he said.

Concerning Data

A leading online safety foundation stated that instances of AI-generated abuse content – such as online pages that may contain numerous files – had significantly increased so far this year.

Cases of the most severe material – the gravest form of abuse – increased from 2,621 images or videos to 3,086.

• Girls were predominantly victimized, accounting for 94% of prohibited AI depictions in 2025
• Portrayals of newborns to toddlers rose from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Sector Reaction

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

"Artificial intelligence systems have made it so survivors can be targeted all over again with just a simple actions, giving criminals the capability to make potentially limitless quantities of sophisticated, lifelike child sexual abuse material," she added. "Content which additionally commodifies victims' trauma, and makes children, particularly female children, more vulnerable both online and offline."

Support Session Data

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

• Using AI to rate weight, body and looks
• Chatbots discouraging young people from consulting trusted adults about harm
• Being bullied online with AI-generated content
• Online blackmail using AI-manipulated images

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

Fifty percent of the mentions of AI in the 2025 interactions were related to mental health and wellbeing, including using chatbots for support and AI therapeutic apps.