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Technology companies and child safety agencies will be granted authority to evaluate whether artificial intelligence tools can produce child abuse material under new British laws.

Substantial Increase in AI-Generated Illegal Content

The announcement coincided with findings from a protection monitoring body showing that cases of AI-generated child sexual abuse material have increased dramatically in the last twelve months, rising from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025.

Updated Regulatory Structure

Under the amendments, the government will permit designated AI developers and child protection organizations to examine AI models – the underlying systems for chatbots and visual AI tools – and verify they have sufficient protective measures to prevent them from producing depictions of child sexual abuse.

"Fundamentally about preventing abuse before it occurs," stated the minister for AI and online safety, noting: "Experts, under strict protocols, can now identify the risk in AI models promptly."

Addressing Legal Obstacles

The amendments have been introduced because it is illegal to create and possess CSAM, meaning that AI creators and others cannot generate such content as part of a evaluation regime. Until now, officials had to delay action until AI-generated CSAM was uploaded online before addressing it.

This law is aimed at averting that problem by enabling to stop the production of those images at their origin.

Legislative Structure

The amendments are being introduced by the authorities as revisions to the crime and policing bill, which is also establishing a prohibition on possessing, creating or sharing AI models designed to create exploitative content.

Real-World Impact

This recently, the official visited the London headquarters of a children's helpline and heard a mock-up call to counsellors featuring a report of AI-based exploitation. The interaction portrayed a adolescent seeking help after facing extortion using a sexualised deepfake of themselves, created using AI.

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

Alarming Statistics

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

Instances of category A content – the most serious form of exploitation – rose from 2,621 images or videos to 3,086.

• Female children were predominantly victimized, making up 94% of prohibited AI depictions in 2025
• Portrayals of newborns to toddlers increased from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Industry Reaction

The law change could "represent a vital step to guarantee AI tools are secure before they are launched," commented the chief executive of the online safety organization.

"Artificial intelligence systems have made it so survivors can be victimised repeatedly with just a simple actions, providing offenders the ability to make potentially endless amounts of advanced, photorealistic exploitative content," she added. "Material which additionally commodifies victims' trauma, and makes children, particularly female children, more vulnerable both online and offline."

Counseling Interaction Information

The children's helpline also published information of counselling sessions where AI has been referenced. AI-related risks mentioned in the sessions comprise:

• Using AI to rate weight, physique and appearance
• AI assistants dissuading children from consulting trusted guardians about harm
• Facing harassment online with AI-generated material
• Online extortion using AI-manipulated pictures

During April and September this year, the helpline delivered 367 support sessions where AI, chatbots and related topics were mentioned, significantly more as many as in the equivalent timeframe last year.

Half of the references of AI in the 2025 interactions were related to mental health and wellness, encompassing using AI assistants for support and AI therapeutic apps.