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Technology companies and child safety agencies will be granted permission to assess whether artificial intelligence systems can produce child exploitation images under recently introduced UK legislation.

Substantial Increase in AI-Generated Illegal Content

The announcement coincided with findings from a safety watchdog showing that cases of AI-generated CSAM have increased dramatically in the last twelve months, growing from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025.

Updated Legal Structure

Under the amendments, the authorities will allow designated AI companies and child safety groups to inspect AI systems – the foundational technology for conversational AI and visual AI tools – and verify they have adequate protective measures to stop them from producing images of child exploitation.

"Ultimately about stopping exploitation before it occurs," stated the minister for AI and online safety, noting: "Specialists, under rigorous conditions, can now detect the risk in AI systems promptly."

Addressing Legal Challenges

The amendments have been implemented because it is illegal to create and own CSAM, meaning that AI developers and other parties cannot generate such content as part of a testing regime. Until now, authorities had to delay action until AI-generated CSAM was published online before dealing with it.

This legislation is designed to preventing that problem by helping to stop the production of those images at source.

Legislative Framework

The amendments are being added by the government as revisions to the criminal justice legislation, which is also establishing a ban on possessing, producing or sharing AI systems developed to create exploitative content.

Real-World Impact

This recently, the official visited the London base of a children's helpline and listened to a simulated call to counsellors involving a account of AI-based abuse. The call portrayed a teenager requesting help after facing extortion using a explicit deepfake of themselves, created using AI.

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

Concerning Data

A leading online safety organization reported that instances of AI-generated abuse material – such as online pages that may contain numerous files – had significantly increased so far this year.

Cases of the most severe material – the most serious form of abuse – increased from 2,621 visual files to 3,086.

• Female children were predominantly victimized, accounting for 94% of prohibited AI depictions in 2025
• Depictions of newborns to toddlers increased from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Industry Reaction

The legislative amendment could "represent a vital step to guarantee AI tools are secure before they are released," commented the head of the internet monitoring foundation.

"Artificial intelligence systems have enabled so survivors can be victimised all over again with just a simple actions, providing criminals the capability to make potentially limitless amounts of sophisticated, photorealistic child sexual abuse material," she added. "Material which additionally exploits survivors' trauma, and renders young people, especially female children, more vulnerable both online and offline."

Support Interaction Information

The children's helpline also released details of counselling interactions where AI has been mentioned. AI-related harms mentioned in the sessions include:

• Employing AI to rate body size, physique and appearance
• Chatbots discouraging children from talking to trusted adults about harm
• Being bullied online with AI-generated content
• Online blackmail using AI-faked pictures

Between April and September this year, the helpline delivered 367 counselling interactions where AI, conversational AI and associated terms were mentioned, four times as many as in the equivalent timeframe last year.

Half of the mentions of AI in the 2025 interactions were related to psychological wellbeing and wellness, including utilizing chatbots for support and AI therapy apps.