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Technology companies and child protection agencies will receive authority to evaluate whether AI tools can generate child abuse images under new British laws.

Substantial Increase in AI-Generated Harmful Content

The declaration came as revelations from a safety watchdog showing that reports of AI-generated CSAM have increased dramatically in the past year, rising from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025.

New Regulatory Framework

Under the changes, the authorities will allow approved AI companies and child protection groups to inspect AI models – the foundational systems for conversational AI and visual AI tools – and ensure they have sufficient safeguards to stop them from producing images of child exploitation.

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

Addressing Regulatory Challenges

The amendments have been introduced because it is illegal to create and own CSAM, meaning that AI creators and other parties cannot create such images as part of a testing regime. Previously, officials had to wait until AI-generated CSAM was uploaded online before dealing with it.

This law is designed to averting that issue by enabling to stop the production of those materials at source.

Legal Structure

The amendments are being added by the authorities as modifications to the criminal justice legislation, which is also establishing a ban on possessing, producing or sharing AI systems designed to generate exploitative content.

Real-World Impact

This recently, the minister visited the London base of Childline and listened to a mock-up call to counsellors involving a account of AI-based exploitation. The call depicted a teenager requesting help after being blackmailed using a explicit deepfake of themselves, created using AI.

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

Concerning Data

A prominent internet monitoring foundation stated that cases of AI-generated abuse material – such as online pages that may contain numerous files – had significantly increased so far this year.

Cases of category A content – the most serious form of abuse – increased from 2,621 visual files to 3,086.

• Girls were predominantly victimized, making up 94% of prohibited AI depictions in 2025
• Portrayals of newborns to toddlers increased from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Sector Reaction

The law change could "represent a crucial step to ensure AI products are secure before they are released," commented the head of the internet monitoring foundation.

"AI tools have enabled so victims can be targeted repeatedly with just a few clicks, providing criminals the capability to make potentially limitless amounts of advanced, photorealistic child sexual abuse material," she added. "Material which additionally exploits victims' trauma, and makes children, particularly female children, more vulnerable on and off line."

Counseling Interaction Information

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

• Using AI to rate body size, body and appearance
• AI assistants dissuading children from talking to trusted guardians about abuse
• Facing harassment online with AI-generated content
• Online extortion using AI-faked pictures

Between April and September this year, the helpline delivered 367 counselling interactions where AI, chatbots and associated topics were discussed, significantly more as many as in the same period last year.

Fifty percent of the references of AI in the 2025 interactions were related to mental health and wellness, encompassing using chatbots for support and AI therapy applications.