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Technology companies and child protection agencies will receive permission to evaluate whether artificial intelligence systems can produce child exploitation images under recently introduced UK laws.

Substantial Rise in AI-Generated Harmful Material

The declaration came as findings 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 Framework

Under the changes, the authorities will permit approved AI developers and child safety organizations to inspect AI systems – the underlying systems for chatbots and visual AI tools – and verify they have sufficient protective measures to prevent them from producing images of child exploitation.

"Ultimately about preventing exploitation before it occurs," stated Kanishka Narayan, adding: "Experts, under rigorous conditions, can now identify the danger in AI models early."

Addressing Legal Obstacles

The changes have been introduced because it is against the law to create and possess CSAM, meaning that AI creators and others cannot generate such images as part of a evaluation process. Previously, authorities had to delay action until AI-generated CSAM was published online before dealing with it.

This legislation is designed to preventing that problem by helping to stop the production of those images at source.

Legislative Framework

The amendments are being added by the authorities as revisions to the criminal justice legislation, which is also implementing a prohibition on possessing, creating or sharing AI models designed to generate child sexual abuse material.

Real-World Impact

This week, the official visited the London headquarters of a children's helpline and heard a simulated conversation to counsellors involving a account of AI-based abuse. The call depicted a teenager seeking help after facing extortion using a explicit AI-generated image of themselves, created using AI.

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

Concerning Statistics

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

Instances of category A content – the gravest form of exploitation – rose from 2,621 visual files to 3,086.

• Female children were overwhelmingly victimized, making up 94% of illegal AI images in 2025
• Portrayals of newborns to two-year-olds rose from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Sector Reaction

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

"AI tools have enabled so survivors can be victimised repeatedly with just a simple actions, giving offenders the capability to make potentially limitless quantities of sophisticated, lifelike exploitative content," she added. "Material which further commodifies survivors' trauma, and makes young people, particularly female children, less safe on and off line."

Counseling Interaction Information

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

• Using AI to evaluate weight, physique and looks
• Chatbots dissuading young people from consulting safe guardians about abuse
• Being bullied online with AI-generated material
• Online extortion using AI-faked images

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

Half of the mentions of AI in the 2025 interactions were related to mental health and wellness, including utilizing AI assistants for support and AI therapy apps.