🔗 Share this article

Technology companies and child protection organizations will be granted permission to evaluate whether artificial intelligence systems can generate child abuse images under recently introduced British laws.

Substantial Rise in AI-Generated Harmful Content

The announcement coincided with revelations from a protection monitoring body showing that reports of AI-generated child sexual abuse material have more than doubled in the last twelve months, growing from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025.

New Legal Framework

Under the amendments, the authorities will allow approved AI companies and child safety organizations to inspect AI systems – the underlying systems for conversational AI and image generators – and ensure they have sufficient protective measures to stop them from producing images of child exploitation.

"Ultimately about preventing exploitation before it happens," stated Kanishka Narayan, noting: "Specialists, under rigorous conditions, can now detect the risk in AI models promptly."

Addressing Regulatory Obstacles

The changes have been introduced because it is against the law to create and possess CSAM, meaning that AI creators and others cannot create such images as part of a testing regime. Previously, officials had to wait until AI-generated CSAM was uploaded online before addressing it.

This law is designed to averting that problem by enabling to stop the production of those images at source.

Legal Framework

The changes are being added by the authorities as revisions to the crime and policing bill, which is also establishing a ban on possessing, producing or sharing AI systems designed to generate child sexual abuse material.

Practical Impact

This recently, the minister visited the London base of a children's helpline and heard a simulated conversation to counsellors involving a report of AI-based exploitation. The call depicted a teenager seeking help after facing extortion using a sexualised deepfake of himself, created using AI.

"When I learn about children facing extortion online, it is a cause of intense frustration in me and justified concern amongst parents," he stated.

Concerning Statistics

A leading internet monitoring foundation stated that instances of AI-generated abuse content – such as online pages that may include multiple files – had more than doubled so far this year.

Instances of category A content – the most serious form of abuse – rose from 2,621 visual files to 3,086.

• Female children were overwhelmingly targeted, making up 94% of illegal AI depictions in 2025
• Portrayals of newborns to toddlers rose from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Industry Reaction

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

"Artificial intelligence systems have made it so survivors can be targeted all over again with just a few clicks, giving offenders the capability to make potentially limitless quantities of sophisticated, lifelike child sexual abuse material," she continued. "Material which further commodifies survivors' trauma, and renders children, especially female children, more vulnerable both online and offline."

Support Interaction Data

Childline also published information of counselling sessions where AI has been referenced. AI-related harms discussed in the sessions include:

• Using AI to evaluate weight, body and looks
• Chatbots discouraging children from consulting trusted guardians about abuse
• Facing harassment online with AI-generated material
• Digital extortion using AI-manipulated images

Between April and September this year, Childline conducted 367 support interactions where AI, chatbots and related terms were mentioned, four times as many as in the equivalent timeframe last year.

Half of the references of AI in the 2025 interactions were connected with mental health and wellbeing, including utilizing AI assistants for support and AI therapy apps.