UK Technology Companies and Child Protection Officials to Examine AI's Ability to Create Exploitation Images

Technology companies and child safety organizations will be granted authority to evaluate whether AI tools can produce child abuse images under recently introduced British laws.

Significant Increase in AI-Generated Illegal Material

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

New Regulatory Framework

Under the amendments, the government will permit approved AI developers and child safety groups to inspect AI models – the underlying systems for chatbots and image generators – and verify they have adequate safeguards to prevent them from creating images of child sexual abuse.

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

Tackling Legal Challenges

The amendments have been introduced because it is against the law to create and possess CSAM, meaning that AI developers and others cannot create such images as part of a testing regime. Previously, authorities had to wait until AI-generated CSAM was published 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 added by the authorities as revisions to the criminal justice legislation, which is also implementing a ban on possessing, creating or distributing AI systems developed to create child sexual abuse material.

Practical Impact

This week, the minister toured the London base of Childline and listened to a mock-up conversation to counsellors featuring a report of AI-based abuse. The call depicted a adolescent seeking help after being blackmailed using a sexualised AI-generated image of himself, created using AI.

"When I learn about young people experiencing blackmail online, it is a cause of extreme frustration in me and justified anger amongst families," he said.

Concerning Data

A leading internet monitoring organization stated that instances of AI-generated exploitation material – such as online pages that may include multiple images – had significantly increased so far this year.

Cases of the most severe content – the most serious form of abuse – increased from 2,621 images or videos to 3,086.

• Female children were overwhelmingly targeted, 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

Sector Response

The law change could "constitute a crucial step to ensure AI tools are secure before they are launched," stated the chief executive of the internet monitoring organization.

"AI tools have made it so survivors can be targeted all over again with just a simple actions, providing criminals the ability to make possibly limitless quantities of advanced, lifelike child sexual abuse material," she added. "Content which further exploits victims' trauma, and makes young people, especially female children, more vulnerable both online and offline."

Counseling Interaction Information

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

• Using AI to rate body size, physique and appearance
• AI assistants dissuading young people from consulting trusted guardians about harm
• Facing harassment online with AI-generated material
• Online extortion using AI-manipulated pictures

During April and September this year, Childline conducted 367 support interactions where AI, conversational AI and associated terms were discussed, significantly more as many as in the same period last year.

Half of the mentions of AI in the 2025 interactions were related to psychological wellbeing and wellbeing, including using AI assistants for support and AI therapeutic applications.