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Technology companies and child protection agencies will be granted permission to evaluate whether artificial intelligence systems can generate child abuse images under new British legislation.

Significant Rise in AI-Generated Harmful Material

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

New Legal Framework

Under the amendments, the government will allow designated AI companies and child protection groups to examine AI systems – the foundational technology for conversational AI and image generators – and verify they have adequate protective measures to stop them from creating depictions of child sexual abuse.

"Fundamentally about stopping abuse before it occurs," declared Kanishka Narayan, noting: "Experts, under strict protocols, can now detect the risk in AI systems early."

Addressing Legal Challenges

The changes have been implemented because it is against the law to create and own CSAM, meaning that AI developers and other parties cannot generate such images as part of a evaluation process. Until now, officials had to wait until AI-generated CSAM was uploaded online before addressing it.

This legislation is designed to averting that issue by helping to halt the production of those materials at source.

Legislative Framework

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

Real-World Impact

This week, the minister toured the London base of Childline and heard a mock-up call to counsellors involving a report of AI-based exploitation. The interaction portrayed a teenager requesting help after facing extortion using a sexualised AI-generated image of themselves, constructed using AI.

"When I hear about young people facing blackmail online, it is a source of intense frustration in me and rightful anger amongst parents," he said.

Alarming Statistics

A prominent online safety foundation stated that cases of AI-generated exploitation material – such as online pages that may include multiple images – had more than doubled so far this year.

Instances of category A material – the most serious form of exploitation – rose from 2,621 images or videos to 3,086.

• Female children were predominantly targeted, accounting for 94% of illegal AI images in 2025
• Portrayals of newborns to two-year-olds rose from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Industry Response

The law change could "represent a crucial step to guarantee AI tools are secure before they are released," commented the chief executive of the internet monitoring foundation.

"AI tools have enabled so victims can be targeted all over again with just a simple actions, providing offenders the capability to create potentially endless quantities of advanced, photorealistic child sexual abuse material," she continued. "Material which additionally commodifies victims' suffering, and renders children, particularly girls, more vulnerable on and off line."

Support Interaction Information

Childline also released details of support interactions where AI has been mentioned. AI-related harms discussed in the conversations comprise:

• Using AI to evaluate body size, physique and appearance
• AI assistants discouraging young people from consulting trusted adults about harm
• Being bullied online with AI-generated material
• Digital blackmail using AI-manipulated images

During April and September this year, Childline conducted 367 counselling interactions where AI, conversational AI and associated terms were discussed, significantly more as many as in the same period last year.

Fifty percent of the references of AI in the 2025 sessions were related to mental health and wellbeing, including using AI assistants for assistance and AI therapy apps.