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Tech firms and child protection organizations will be granted authority to assess whether artificial intelligence tools can generate child exploitation material under new British legislation.

Substantial Rise in AI-Generated Harmful Material

The declaration coincided with findings from a safety watchdog showing that cases of AI-generated child sexual abuse material have increased dramatically in the past year, growing from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025.

New Legal Framework

Under the amendments, the authorities will permit designated AI developers and child safety organizations to inspect AI systems – the underlying systems for chatbots and visual AI tools – and ensure they have adequate safeguards to prevent them from creating depictions of child exploitation.

"Ultimately about stopping exploitation before it occurs," stated Kanishka Narayan, adding: "Specialists, under rigorous protocols, can now identify the danger in AI systems early."

Tackling Regulatory Challenges

The changes have been implemented because it is illegal to produce and own CSAM, meaning that AI developers and other parties cannot generate such images as part of a evaluation process. Until now, officials had to wait until AI-generated CSAM was published online before dealing with it.

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

Legislative Structure

The changes are being introduced by the authorities as modifications to the criminal justice legislation, which is also establishing a ban on possessing, producing or distributing AI systems developed to generate child sexual abuse material.

Real-World Consequences

This recently, the official toured the London headquarters of Childline and heard a mock-up conversation to advisors involving a report of AI-based exploitation. The call portrayed a adolescent requesting help after being blackmailed using a sexualised AI-generated image of himself, constructed using AI.

"When I hear about young people facing blackmail online, it is a source of intense anger in me and justified anger amongst families," he said.

Alarming Data

A prominent internet monitoring foundation stated that instances of AI-generated abuse material – such as webpages that may contain multiple images – had more than doubled so far this year.

Cases of the most severe material – the gravest form of abuse – increased from 2,621 images or videos to 3,086.

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

Sector Reaction

The legislative amendment could "represent a vital step to guarantee AI products are secure before they are released," stated the chief executive of the internet monitoring foundation.

"AI tools have enabled so victims can be victimised all over again with just a few clicks, providing criminals the ability to create potentially endless amounts of sophisticated, lifelike child sexual abuse material," she added. "Material which further exploits survivors' suffering, and renders young people, particularly girls, more vulnerable both online and offline."

Counseling Interaction Data

Childline also published details of support sessions where AI has been mentioned. AI-related harms mentioned in the conversations comprise:

• Using AI to rate weight, physique and looks
• Chatbots dissuading young people from talking to trusted guardians about abuse
• Being bullied online with AI-generated material
• Digital blackmail using AI-manipulated pictures

During April and September this year, Childline conducted 367 counselling interactions where AI, conversational AI and associated topics were discussed, significantly more as many as in the equivalent timeframe last year.

Fifty percent of the mentions of AI in the 2025 sessions were related to psychological wellbeing and wellbeing, including utilizing AI assistants for assistance and AI therapy applications.