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Technology companies and child protection organizations will receive permission to evaluate whether artificial intelligence tools can produce child exploitation material under recently introduced UK laws.

Significant Rise in AI-Generated Harmful Material

The announcement came as findings from a safety watchdog showing that reports of AI-generated CSAM have increased dramatically in the past year, rising from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025.

Updated Legal Structure

Under the changes, the government will permit designated AI developers and child protection groups to examine AI models – the underlying technology for chatbots and visual AI tools – and verify they have adequate protective measures to stop them from producing images of child exploitation.

"Ultimately about stopping abuse before it happens," stated Kanishka Narayan, adding: "Experts, under strict conditions, can now identify the danger in AI systems early."

Tackling Legal Obstacles

The amendments have been implemented because it is against the law to produce and possess CSAM, meaning that AI creators and other parties cannot generate such content as part of a testing process. Until now, officials had to wait until AI-generated CSAM was published online before addressing it.

This law is designed to preventing that issue by enabling to halt the creation of those materials at their origin.

Legislative Framework

The amendments are being introduced by the authorities as revisions to the criminal justice legislation, which is also implementing a ban on owning, producing or distributing AI systems designed to generate exploitative content.

Real-World Impact

This week, the minister visited the London headquarters of a children's helpline and heard a mock-up conversation to counsellors featuring a report of AI-based abuse. The interaction depicted a adolescent seeking help after facing extortion using a sexualised deepfake of themselves, constructed using AI.

"When I hear about young people experiencing blackmail online, it is a source of extreme frustration in me and rightful concern amongst parents," he stated.

Concerning Data

A leading online safety organization stated that cases of AI-generated exploitation content – such as webpages that may contain multiple images – had significantly increased so far this year.

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

• Female children were predominantly victimized, making up 94% of prohibited AI images in 2025
• Depictions of newborns 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 secure before they are released," commented the head of the internet monitoring foundation.

"Artificial intelligence systems have enabled so victims can be targeted repeatedly with just a simple actions, giving offenders the capability to make possibly endless quantities of sophisticated, lifelike exploitative content," she continued. "Content which additionally commodifies victims' suffering, and makes young people, especially girls, less safe both online and offline."

Counseling Interaction Data

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

• Using AI to evaluate weight, physique and appearance
• AI assistants discouraging children from talking to safe guardians about harm
• Facing harassment online with AI-generated material
• Digital blackmail using AI-manipulated images

Between April and September this year, Childline conducted 367 support interactions where AI, chatbots and related topics were discussed, significantly more as many as in the same period last year.

Fifty percent of the references of AI in the 2025 sessions were connected with psychological wellbeing and wellbeing, encompassing using chatbots for support and AI therapy applications.