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Technology companies and child safety agencies will be granted permission to evaluate whether artificial intelligence tools can generate child exploitation material under recently introduced British legislation.

Significant Rise in AI-Generated Illegal Content

The declaration coincided with revelations from a protection monitoring body showing that cases of AI-generated child sexual abuse material have more than doubled in the past year, rising from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025.

Updated Legal Structure

Under the changes, the authorities will allow approved AI developers and child safety groups to examine AI systems – the foundational systems for conversational AI and image generators – and ensure they have sufficient protective measures to prevent them from creating images of child sexual abuse.

"Fundamentally about stopping exploitation before it occurs," stated Kanishka Narayan, adding: "Specialists, under strict conditions, can now detect the risk in AI models early."

Addressing Regulatory Challenges

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

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

Legal Structure

The amendments are being introduced by the authorities as modifications to the crime and policing bill, which is also establishing a prohibition on owning, creating or sharing AI systems developed to generate exploitative content.

Real-World Impact

This week, the minister toured the London base of Childline and heard a simulated call to advisors featuring a report of AI-based abuse. The call depicted a adolescent requesting help after being blackmailed using a sexualised AI-generated image of themselves, created using AI.

"When I learn about children experiencing blackmail online, it is a source of intense frustration in me and justified concern amongst parents," he said.

Concerning Statistics

A leading online safety foundation stated that instances of AI-generated exploitation material – such as webpages that may include numerous files – had significantly increased so far this year.

Instances of the most severe content – the gravest form of exploitation – rose from 2,621 visual files to 3,086.

• Female children were overwhelmingly victimized, making up 94% of prohibited AI images in 2025
• Depictions of infants to toddlers increased from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Sector Response

The legislative amendment could "constitute a vital step to ensure AI products are secure before they are released," stated the chief executive of the online safety foundation.

"AI tools have enabled so victims can be targeted repeatedly with just a few clicks, providing offenders the capability to create possibly limitless quantities of advanced, lifelike child sexual abuse material," she continued. "Content which further commodifies victims' suffering, and makes children, especially girls, less safe on and off line."

Support Session Information

The children's helpline also published details of support interactions where AI has been mentioned. AI-related risks discussed in the conversations comprise:

• Using AI to rate body size, body and appearance
• Chatbots discouraging children from talking to safe guardians about harm
• Facing harassment online with AI-generated content
• Online extortion using AI-faked pictures

Between April and September this year, the helpline conducted 367 counselling sessions where AI, chatbots and associated terms were mentioned, four times as many as in the same period last year.

Half of the mentions of AI in the 2025 sessions were related to psychological wellbeing and wellbeing, including using chatbots for support and AI therapeutic apps.