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Technology companies and child protection organizations will receive authority to assess whether AI systems can produce child abuse material under new UK laws.

Significant Increase in AI-Generated Harmful Material

The announcement came as findings from a protection monitoring body showing that reports of AI-generated CSAM have more than doubled in the past year, growing from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025.

New Legal Structure

Under the amendments, the government will allow approved AI companies and child safety organizations to examine AI systems – the underlying technology for chatbots and visual AI tools – and ensure they have adequate protective measures to prevent them from creating depictions of child exploitation.

"Ultimately about preventing exploitation before it happens," stated Kanishka Narayan, adding: "Experts, under rigorous conditions, can now identify the danger in AI systems promptly."

Tackling Legal Obstacles

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

This law is designed to preventing that problem by helping to stop the creation of those materials at their origin.

Legislative Framework

The amendments are being introduced by the government as modifications to the crime and policing bill, which is also implementing a prohibition on owning, producing or sharing AI systems designed to generate child sexual abuse material.

Practical Impact

This recently, the official toured the London headquarters of a children's helpline and listened to a mock-up conversation to counsellors involving a report of AI-based abuse. The interaction depicted a teenager requesting help after facing extortion using a sexualised deepfake of themselves, created using AI.

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

Concerning Data

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

Cases of category A content – the gravest form of abuse – rose from 2,621 images or videos to 3,086.

• Female children were predominantly targeted, accounting for 94% of illegal AI depictions in 2025
• Portrayals of infants to two-year-olds increased from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Sector Response

The law change could "constitute a vital step to ensure AI tools are safe before they are released," commented the chief executive of the internet monitoring foundation.

"Artificial intelligence systems have enabled so survivors can be victimised all over again with just a few clicks, giving offenders the ability to create possibly limitless amounts of advanced, photorealistic exploitative content," she added. "Content which additionally commodifies victims' trauma, and makes young people, especially girls, less safe both online and offline."

Support Interaction Information

Childline also released information of support interactions where AI has been mentioned. AI-related harms mentioned in the sessions comprise:

• Employing AI to evaluate body size, physique and looks
• Chatbots discouraging young people from talking to trusted guardians about abuse
• Being bullied online with AI-generated material
• Online blackmail using AI-faked images

During April and September this year, Childline delivered 367 counselling interactions where AI, chatbots and associated terms 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 psychological wellbeing and wellness, including utilizing chatbots for support and AI therapeutic applications.