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Tech firms and child protection agencies will receive permission to evaluate whether artificial intelligence tools can generate child abuse material under new UK legislation.

Significant Rise in AI-Generated Illegal Material

The announcement came as findings from a safety 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 Framework

Under the changes, the authorities will allow approved AI developers and child safety groups to inspect AI systems – the foundational technology for conversational AI and image generators – and verify they have adequate protective measures to prevent them from producing depictions of child exploitation.

"Fundamentally about preventing exploitation before it happens," stated Kanishka Narayan, noting: "Experts, under strict conditions, can now identify the risk in AI models early."

Addressing Legal 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 content as part of a evaluation process. Previously, authorities had to wait until AI-generated CSAM was uploaded online before addressing it.

This law is designed to averting that issue by helping to halt the creation of those materials at source.

Legislative Framework

The changes are being introduced by the authorities as modifications to the criminal justice legislation, which is also establishing a ban on owning, producing or distributing AI systems developed to create exploitative content.

Real-World Impact

This recently, the minister visited the London headquarters of a children's helpline and listened to a mock-up conversation to counsellors featuring a report of AI-based abuse. The call portrayed a teenager seeking help after being blackmailed using a sexualised deepfake of themselves, constructed using AI.

"When I learn about young people facing extortion online, it is a cause of intense frustration in me and justified anger amongst families," he said.

Concerning Data

A prominent internet monitoring foundation stated that cases of AI-generated abuse content – such as webpages that may include multiple files – had significantly increased so far this year.

Cases of category A material – the most serious form of exploitation – increased from 2,621 images or videos to 3,086.

• Girls were predominantly targeted, making up 94% of illegal AI images in 2025
• Portrayals of infants to toddlers increased from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Sector Reaction

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

"AI tools have made it so victims can be targeted all over again with just a few clicks, giving offenders the capability to create potentially limitless quantities of advanced, photorealistic child sexual abuse material," she continued. "Content which further exploits victims' suffering, and renders children, particularly girls, less safe both online and offline."

Counseling Interaction Information

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

• Employing AI to rate weight, physique and looks
• AI assistants dissuading children from talking to trusted guardians about abuse
• Facing harassment online with AI-generated content
• Digital blackmail using AI-faked pictures

During April and September this year, the helpline delivered 367 counselling interactions where AI, conversational AI and associated terms were mentioned, significantly more as many as in the same period last year.

Fifty percent of the references of AI in the 2025 interactions were connected with psychological wellbeing and wellness, encompassing using AI assistants for assistance and AI therapy apps.