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Tech firms and child protection organizations will receive authority to assess whether artificial intelligence tools can produce child exploitation material under new UK legislation.

Significant Rise in AI-Generated Harmful Content

The declaration coincided with revelations from a protection monitoring body 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 government will allow designated AI companies and child protection organizations to inspect AI systems – the foundational technology for conversational AI and image generators – and verify they have adequate protective measures to stop them from producing depictions of child exploitation.

"Ultimately about stopping exploitation before it occurs," declared the minister for AI and online safety, adding: "Experts, under strict protocols, can now detect the risk in AI systems early."

Addressing Regulatory Obstacles

The amendments have been introduced because it is against the law to produce and own CSAM, meaning that AI creators and other parties cannot generate such images as part of a testing regime. Previously, authorities had to wait until AI-generated CSAM was uploaded online before dealing with it.

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

Legislative Framework

The amendments are being introduced by the government as modifications to the criminal justice legislation, which is also establishing a prohibition on owning, producing or distributing AI systems designed to generate child sexual abuse material.

Practical Impact

This week, the official visited the London base of Childline and heard a simulated call to counsellors involving a report of AI-based abuse. The call depicted a teenager seeking help after facing extortion using a explicit deepfake of themselves, constructed using AI.

"When I hear about children experiencing blackmail online, it is a source of extreme anger in me and justified anger amongst parents," he stated.

Alarming Statistics

A leading online safety foundation reported that cases of AI-generated exploitation content – such as webpages that may contain numerous files – had more than doubled so far this year.

Cases of category A content – the gravest form of exploitation – increased from 2,621 visual files to 3,086.

• Female children were predominantly victimized, making up 94% of prohibited AI images in 2025
• Depictions of infants to two-year-olds increased from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Industry Response

The legislative amendment could "represent a crucial step to guarantee AI products are safe before they are released," commented the chief executive of the online safety foundation.

"AI tools have enabled so victims can be victimised all over again with just a simple actions, providing offenders the capability to make potentially endless quantities of sophisticated, lifelike exploitative content," she added. "Content which further commodifies survivors' trauma, and makes children, especially female children, less safe on and off line."

Counseling Session Information

The children's helpline also released information of support interactions where AI has been mentioned. AI-related harms discussed in the sessions comprise:

• Employing AI to rate weight, body and looks
• AI assistants dissuading children from consulting safe adults about abuse
• Facing harassment online with AI-generated content
• Digital blackmail using AI-manipulated pictures

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

Fifty percent of the mentions of AI in the 2025 sessions were related to psychological wellbeing and wellbeing, encompassing utilizing AI assistants for support and AI therapeutic applications.