UK Technology Companies and Child Safety Agencies to Examine AI's Ability to Generate Abuse Content

Technology companies and child safety agencies will be granted permission to assess whether AI systems can generate child exploitation images under new British legislation.

Significant Rise in AI-Generated Illegal Material

The declaration came as findings from a safety 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.

New Legal Structure

Under the changes, the authorities will allow approved AI companies and child safety groups to inspect AI systems – the foundational technology for chatbots and visual AI tools – and verify they have adequate protective measures to prevent them from creating depictions of child sexual abuse.

"Ultimately about preventing exploitation before it occurs," stated Kanishka Narayan, adding: "Experts, under strict protocols, can now identify the risk in AI models early."

Tackling Legal Challenges

The changes have been introduced because it is illegal to produce and possess CSAM, meaning that AI creators and others cannot create such images as part of a evaluation process. Previously, officials had to delay action until AI-generated CSAM was uploaded online before dealing with it.

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

Legal Framework

The amendments are being added by the government as modifications to the criminal justice legislation, which is also implementing a prohibition on possessing, creating or distributing AI systems developed to create child sexual abuse material.

Real-World Impact

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

"When I learn about young people facing extortion online, it is a source of intense frustration in me and justified anger amongst parents," he stated.

Concerning Data

A prominent online safety organization stated that instances 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 – increased from 2,621 images or videos to 3,086.

• Girls were overwhelmingly victimized, accounting for 94% of illegal AI depictions in 2025
• Portrayals of infants to toddlers increased from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Sector Reaction

The law change could "represent a crucial step to guarantee AI products are safe before they are released," commented the chief executive of the internet monitoring organization.

"AI tools have made it so survivors can be targeted repeatedly with just a few clicks, giving criminals the ability to create potentially limitless quantities of advanced, photorealistic exploitative content," she added. "Material which further commodifies survivors' trauma, and renders children, particularly girls, less safe both online and offline."

Support Session Information

The children's helpline also released details of counselling interactions where AI has been mentioned. AI-related risks mentioned in the conversations comprise:

• Employing AI to rate weight, body and appearance
• AI assistants dissuading young people from consulting trusted guardians about abuse
• Facing harassment online with AI-generated content
• Digital extortion using AI-manipulated pictures

Between April and September this year, the helpline delivered 367 support interactions where AI, conversational AI 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 wellness, encompassing using chatbots for support and AI therapy apps.