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Technology companies and child safety organizations will receive authority to evaluate whether artificial intelligence tools can generate child abuse images under new UK legislation.

Substantial Rise in AI-Generated Harmful Content

The announcement came as revelations from a protection watchdog showing that reports of AI-generated child sexual abuse material 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 allow approved AI companies and child protection organizations to examine AI systems – the underlying systems for conversational AI and visual AI tools – and ensure they have sufficient safeguards to prevent them from creating images of child exploitation.

"Fundamentally about stopping abuse before it occurs," declared the minister for AI and online safety, noting: "Experts, under rigorous protocols, can now detect the risk in AI models promptly."

Tackling Regulatory Challenges

The changes have been introduced because it is illegal to produce and own CSAM, meaning that AI creators and others cannot generate such images as part of a evaluation regime. Until now, authorities had to wait until AI-generated CSAM was uploaded online before addressing it.

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

Legal Framework

The changes are being introduced by the authorities as modifications to the crime and policing bill, which is also establishing a ban on owning, producing or distributing AI models designed to create child sexual abuse material.

Real-World Impact

This recently, the official toured the London base of Childline and listened to a simulated call to advisors featuring a account of AI-based abuse. The call portrayed a teenager seeking help after facing extortion using a sexualised AI-generated image of themselves, constructed using AI.

"When I hear about young people experiencing blackmail online, it is a source of extreme frustration in me and justified anger amongst families," he said.

Concerning Data

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

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

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

Industry Response

The law change could "constitute a vital step to ensure AI products are safe before they are released," stated the chief executive of the internet monitoring foundation.

"Artificial intelligence systems have enabled so survivors can be targeted all over again with just a few clicks, providing offenders the ability to make possibly endless quantities of advanced, lifelike exploitative content," she added. "Content which further commodifies survivors' trauma, and makes children, particularly girls, less safe on and off line."

Counseling Session Data

Childline also released details of counselling interactions where AI has been referenced. AI-related harms mentioned in the conversations include:

• Using AI to evaluate body size, body and appearance
• Chatbots discouraging children from consulting safe guardians about harm
• Being bullied online with AI-generated content
• Online blackmail using AI-manipulated images

Between April and September this year, Childline conducted 367 support interactions where AI, conversational AI and associated topics were discussed, significantly more as many as in the equivalent timeframe last year.

Fifty percent of the references of AI in the 2025 sessions were connected with psychological wellbeing and wellness, including using chatbots for assistance and AI therapeutic applications.