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Tech firms and child safety agencies will receive authority to assess whether artificial intelligence systems can produce child exploitation images under new British legislation.

Significant Increase in AI-Generated Illegal Content

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

New Regulatory Framework

Under the changes, the authorities will permit designated AI developers and child safety groups to inspect AI systems – the foundational technology for chatbots and image generators – and verify they have adequate protective measures to stop them from creating images of child sexual abuse.

"Fundamentally about preventing abuse before it happens," declared Kanishka Narayan, adding: "Experts, under rigorous protocols, can now detect the risk in AI systems promptly."

Addressing Legal Obstacles

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

This law is aimed at averting that problem by helping to stop the creation of those images at source.

Legal Framework

The changes are being introduced by the authorities as revisions to the crime and policing bill, which is also establishing a ban on possessing, producing or distributing AI systems developed to generate exploitative content.

Real-World Consequences

This recently, the official visited the London base of Childline and listened to a mock-up conversation to advisors involving a account of AI-based abuse. The interaction depicted a teenager requesting help after facing extortion using a sexualised AI-generated image of himself, created using AI.

"When I learn about children facing blackmail online, it is a source of extreme anger in me and rightful anger amongst families," he said.

Alarming Data

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

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

• Girls were overwhelmingly victimized, making up 94% of illegal AI depictions in 2025
• Depictions of newborns to two-year-olds rose from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Industry Reaction

The legislative amendment could "represent a crucial step to ensure AI products are secure before they are released," stated the chief executive of the online safety foundation.

"AI tools have made it so survivors can be victimised repeatedly with just a simple actions, providing criminals the ability to create possibly endless amounts of advanced, lifelike child sexual abuse material," she added. "Material which further exploits victims' suffering, and makes young people, particularly female children, more vulnerable both online and offline."

Counseling Interaction Information

Childline also released information of counselling sessions where AI has been mentioned. AI-related harms mentioned in the conversations include:

• Employing AI to rate body size, body and appearance
• Chatbots discouraging children from talking to safe adults about abuse
• Facing harassment online with AI-generated material
• Digital blackmail using AI-manipulated images

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

Fifty percent of the mentions of AI in the 2025 sessions were connected with mental health and wellness, encompassing utilizing AI assistants for assistance and AI therapy apps.