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Technology companies and child protection agencies will receive permission to assess whether AI systems can generate child exploitation material under new UK legislation.

Substantial Increase in AI-Generated Illegal Content

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

Updated Regulatory Framework

Under the changes, the authorities will allow designated AI developers and child safety organizations to examine AI systems – the foundational systems for chatbots and image generators – and ensure they have adequate protective measures to stop them from producing depictions of child exploitation.

"Fundamentally about preventing exploitation before it occurs," declared Kanishka Narayan, adding: "Experts, under rigorous conditions, can now identify the danger in AI systems promptly."

Addressing Legal Obstacles

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

This law is aimed at preventing that issue by enabling to halt the creation of those materials at their origin.

Legal Structure

The changes are being added by the authorities as revisions to the criminal justice legislation, which is also establishing a prohibition on owning, creating or sharing AI systems developed to generate child sexual abuse material.

Practical Consequences

This recently, the official visited the London base of a children's helpline and heard a simulated conversation to counsellors involving a report of AI-based exploitation. The interaction depicted a adolescent requesting help after being blackmailed using a sexualised AI-generated image of himself, constructed using AI.

"When I hear about children experiencing extortion online, it is a cause of extreme frustration in me and rightful anger amongst parents," he stated.

Alarming Data

A leading online safety organization stated that cases of AI-generated exploitation content – such as webpages that may include multiple files – had more than doubled so far this year.

Cases of category A material – the gravest form of abuse – rose from 2,621 images or videos to 3,086.

• Female children were overwhelmingly targeted, accounting for 94% of prohibited AI depictions in 2025
• Depictions of infants to toddlers rose from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Sector Reaction

The legislative amendment could "constitute a vital step to ensure AI products are safe before they are released," commented the head of the internet monitoring organization.

"Artificial intelligence systems have enabled so victims can be victimised all over again with just a simple actions, giving offenders the capability to create possibly endless quantities of advanced, photorealistic child sexual abuse material," she continued. "Content which further commodifies victims' trauma, and renders young people, particularly girls, less safe both online and offline."

Counseling Session Information

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

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

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

Fifty percent of the mentions of AI in the 2025 interactions were related to mental health and wellness, including using chatbots for assistance and AI therapy applications.