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Tech firms and child safety agencies will be granted permission to evaluate whether artificial intelligence systems can generate child exploitation material under recently introduced British laws.

Substantial Increase in AI-Generated Illegal Material

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

Updated Legal Structure

Under the amendments, the authorities will allow approved AI companies and child safety organizations to inspect AI systems – the foundational systems for conversational AI and image generators – and ensure they have adequate protective measures to stop them from producing images of child sexual abuse.

"Ultimately about stopping abuse before it happens," declared Kanishka Narayan, noting: "Specialists, under rigorous protocols, can now detect the risk in AI systems early."

Addressing Regulatory Obstacles

The amendments have been introduced because it is against the law to create and own CSAM, meaning that AI developers and others cannot generate such content as part of a testing process. Until now, authorities had to wait until AI-generated CSAM was uploaded online before addressing it.

This law is aimed at averting that problem by enabling to halt the creation of those images at their origin.

Legislative Framework

The changes are being added by the authorities as revisions to the criminal justice legislation, which is also implementing a ban on owning, creating or distributing AI systems designed to generate child sexual abuse material.

Real-World Consequences

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

"When I learn about children facing extortion online, it is a cause of intense anger in me and rightful concern amongst families," he stated.

Alarming Data

A prominent internet monitoring foundation stated that cases of AI-generated exploitation content – such as online pages that may include multiple images – had significantly increased so far this year.

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

• Female children were overwhelmingly victimized, accounting for 94% of prohibited AI images in 2025
• Portrayals of infants to two-year-olds increased from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Sector Reaction

The law change could "represent a vital step to ensure AI tools are secure before they are released," commented the head of the online safety foundation.

"AI tools have made it so victims can be victimised repeatedly with just a simple actions, giving criminals the ability to make potentially limitless quantities of advanced, lifelike child sexual abuse material," she continued. "Material which additionally exploits survivors' trauma, and renders children, especially female children, more vulnerable both online and offline."

Counseling Interaction Information

The children's helpline also published information of counselling sessions where AI has been mentioned. AI-related harms discussed in the sessions comprise:

• Using AI to evaluate body size, physique and appearance
• AI assistants discouraging young people from consulting trusted guardians about harm
• Facing harassment online with AI-generated content
• Online extortion using AI-faked images

Between April and September this year, Childline delivered 367 support sessions where AI, conversational AI and associated terms were discussed, four times as many as in the same period last year.

Half of the references of AI in the 2025 interactions were connected with psychological wellbeing and wellness, including utilizing AI assistants for support and AI therapeutic apps.