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Tech firms and child safety organizations will receive authority to assess whether AI systems can produce child abuse images under new British laws.

Substantial Rise in AI-Generated Illegal Content

The announcement coincided with revelations from a safety monitoring body showing that reports of AI-generated child sexual abuse material have more than doubled in the last twelve months, rising from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025.

Updated Regulatory Structure

Under the changes, the authorities will allow designated AI developers and child safety groups to inspect AI models – the foundational systems for conversational AI and image generators – and verify they have adequate protective measures to prevent them from creating depictions of child exploitation.

"Ultimately about preventing abuse before it happens," stated the minister for AI and online safety, noting: "Specialists, under rigorous conditions, can now identify the danger in AI models early."

Addressing Regulatory Obstacles

The amendments have been implemented because it is against the law to create and possess CSAM, meaning that AI developers and other parties cannot create such content as part of a evaluation regime. Previously, authorities had to delay action until AI-generated CSAM was uploaded online before dealing with it.

This legislation is aimed at preventing that issue by enabling to halt the creation of those images at their origin.

Legal Framework

The changes are being introduced by the government as modifications to the crime and policing bill, which is also establishing a prohibition on possessing, producing or distributing AI systems developed to create child sexual abuse material.

Practical Impact

This recently, the official toured the London headquarters of a children's helpline and listened to a simulated call to advisors involving a report of AI-based abuse. The call depicted a teenager requesting help after being blackmailed using a explicit AI-generated image of himself, created using AI.

"When I learn about children experiencing blackmail online, it is a cause of intense anger in me and justified concern amongst parents," he stated.

Alarming Statistics

A leading internet monitoring foundation stated that instances of AI-generated exploitation content – such as webpages that may contain multiple images – 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.

• Girls were predominantly targeted, making up 94% of prohibited AI images in 2025
• Depictions of newborns to toddlers increased from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Sector Response

The law change could "constitute a vital step to guarantee AI products are secure before they are released," commented the chief executive of the online safety foundation.

"AI tools have made it so victims can be targeted all over again with just a simple actions, providing offenders the capability to make potentially endless amounts of sophisticated, lifelike exploitative content," she added. "Content which further exploits victims' suffering, and makes young people, especially girls, more vulnerable on and off line."

Support Interaction Data

Childline also published information of counselling sessions where AI has been mentioned. AI-related harms discussed in the conversations comprise:

• Employing AI to evaluate body size, body and looks
• Chatbots dissuading children from consulting safe adults about harm
• Being bullied online with AI-generated content
• Digital blackmail using AI-manipulated pictures

During April and September this year, the helpline delivered 367 counselling sessions where AI, chatbots and related terms were mentioned, significantly more as many as in the equivalent timeframe last year.

Half of the references of AI in the 2025 sessions were connected with psychological wellbeing and wellbeing, encompassing utilizing chatbots for assistance and AI therapeutic applications.