🔗 Share this article

Technology companies and child safety organizations will receive permission to evaluate whether artificial intelligence tools can produce child exploitation material under new British legislation.

Substantial Increase in AI-Generated Harmful Content

The announcement came as revelations from a protection monitoring body showing that cases of AI-generated CSAM have increased dramatically in the past year, growing from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025.

New Regulatory Structure

Under the amendments, the authorities will allow designated AI companies and child safety groups to examine AI models – the foundational systems for conversational AI and visual AI tools – and ensure they have sufficient safeguards to stop them from creating depictions of child exploitation.

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

Addressing Regulatory Obstacles

The amendments have been introduced because it is against the law to create and own CSAM, meaning that AI creators and other parties cannot generate such content as part of a evaluation process. Previously, officials had to wait until AI-generated CSAM was published online before dealing with it.

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

Legislative Framework

The amendments are being introduced by the authorities as modifications to the crime and policing bill, which is also implementing a ban on possessing, producing or distributing AI models developed to create child sexual abuse material.

Real-World Consequences

This week, the minister toured the London headquarters of Childline and listened to a simulated call to advisors involving a account of AI-based exploitation. The interaction portrayed a teenager seeking help after being blackmailed using a sexualised deepfake of themselves, created using AI.

"When I learn about children facing extortion online, it is a source of extreme anger in me and justified concern amongst parents," he said.

Concerning Data

A prominent online safety organization reported that instances of AI-generated abuse content – such as webpages that may contain numerous images – had significantly increased so far this year.

Instances of the most severe material – the gravest form of exploitation – rose from 2,621 visual files to 3,086.

• Girls were overwhelmingly victimized, making up 94% of prohibited AI images in 2025
• Depictions of newborns to toddlers rose from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Industry Reaction

The legislative amendment could "represent a crucial step to guarantee AI tools are secure before they are launched," commented the head of the internet monitoring organization.

"Artificial intelligence systems have enabled so survivors can be victimised all over again with just a simple actions, providing offenders the ability to make potentially limitless amounts of sophisticated, lifelike exploitative content," she added. "Content which additionally exploits survivors' trauma, and renders children, especially female children, less safe on and off line."

Support Interaction Information

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

• Employing AI to rate body size, physique and appearance
• AI assistants dissuading young people from consulting trusted adults about harm
• Being bullied online with AI-generated material
• Digital blackmail using AI-manipulated pictures

During April and September this year, the helpline conducted 367 counselling sessions where AI, chatbots and associated topics were mentioned, significantly more as many as in the same period last year.

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