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Technology companies and child safety organizations will receive permission to evaluate whether AI systems can generate child abuse material under recently introduced UK laws.

Significant Increase in AI-Generated Harmful Content

The declaration coincided with revelations from a safety watchdog showing that cases of AI-generated CSAM have more than doubled in the last twelve months, growing from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025.

Updated Regulatory Framework

Under the amendments, the authorities will permit approved AI developers and child safety groups to examine AI models – the underlying technology for conversational AI and image generators – and verify they have sufficient protective measures to prevent them from producing depictions of child exploitation.

"Fundamentally about preventing exploitation before it occurs," stated Kanishka Narayan, adding: "Experts, under strict conditions, can now identify the risk in AI systems early."

Tackling Regulatory Obstacles

The changes have been implemented because it is against the law to create and possess CSAM, meaning that AI creators and other parties cannot create such images as part of a testing regime. Previously, officials had to delay action until AI-generated CSAM was published online before addressing it.

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

Legislative Structure

The amendments are being introduced by the authorities as revisions to the criminal justice legislation, which is also implementing a prohibition on possessing, creating or distributing AI models developed to generate exploitative content.

Practical Consequences

This recently, the minister visited the London headquarters of a children's helpline and listened to a simulated conversation to counsellors featuring a account of AI-based exploitation. The interaction portrayed a adolescent seeking help after being blackmailed using a sexualised deepfake of themselves, constructed using AI.

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

Alarming Data

A leading online safety organization stated that instances of AI-generated abuse content – such as webpages that may include multiple images – had significantly increased so far this year.

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

• Female children were predominantly victimized, making up 94% of prohibited AI depictions in 2025
• Depictions of newborns to two-year-olds rose from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Industry Response

The law change could "constitute a crucial step to guarantee AI tools are safe before they are released," stated the head of the online safety organization.

"Artificial intelligence systems have made it so survivors can be victimised all over again with just a few clicks, providing criminals the capability to create possibly limitless quantities of advanced, lifelike child sexual abuse material," she added. "Content which additionally commodifies survivors' suffering, and makes children, especially female children, more vulnerable on and off line."

Support Session Information

Childline also released details of counselling interactions where AI has been referenced. AI-related risks mentioned in the sessions comprise:

• Employing AI to evaluate body size, body and looks
• Chatbots discouraging young people from consulting trusted guardians about abuse
• Facing harassment online with AI-generated content
• Digital blackmail using AI-faked images

During April and September this year, the helpline conducted 367 support interactions where AI, chatbots and associated topics were mentioned, significantly more as many as in the same period last year.

Fifty percent of the references of AI in the 2025 sessions were connected with mental health and wellness, including utilizing chatbots for support and AI therapeutic applications.