UK Tech Companies and Child Safety Officials to Test AI's Capability to Create Exploitation Images

Tech firms and child safety agencies will receive authority to assess whether artificial intelligence systems can produce child exploitation images under new British legislation.

Substantial Increase in AI-Generated Illegal Material

The announcement coincided with revelations from a protection monitoring body showing that cases of AI-generated CSAM have more than doubled in the last twelve months, growing from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025.

New Legal Framework

Under the changes, the government will allow approved AI developers and child safety groups to inspect AI models – the foundational systems for conversational AI and visual AI tools – and ensure they have sufficient safeguards to stop them from creating images of child sexual abuse.

"Ultimately about preventing abuse before it happens," declared Kanishka Narayan, noting: "Specialists, under rigorous conditions, can now detect the danger in AI systems promptly."

Tackling Regulatory Obstacles

The changes have been introduced because it is against the law to produce and possess CSAM, meaning that AI developers and other parties cannot generate such images as part of a evaluation process. Until now, officials had to wait until AI-generated CSAM was uploaded online before dealing with it.

This law is designed to preventing that problem by enabling to halt the production of those materials at source.

Legal Framework

The changes are being introduced by the government as modifications to the crime and policing bill, which is also establishing a ban on possessing, creating or distributing AI systems developed to generate child sexual abuse material.

Real-World Impact

This recently, the minister toured the London headquarters of Childline and heard 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 explicit AI-generated image of themselves, constructed using AI.

"When I hear about young people facing blackmail online, it is a source of intense anger in me and justified anger amongst families," he said.

Alarming Statistics

A leading internet monitoring organization reported that cases of AI-generated exploitation material – such as webpages that may include multiple files – had more than doubled so far this year.

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

• Girls were predominantly victimized, accounting for 94% of illegal AI depictions in 2025
• Depictions of infants to toddlers rose from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025

Sector Response

The law change could "constitute a crucial step to ensure AI products are secure before they are launched," commented the head of the internet monitoring foundation.

"AI tools have enabled so survivors can be victimised all over again with just a simple actions, giving criminals the ability to make possibly endless quantities of advanced, lifelike child sexual abuse material," she continued. "Material which additionally commodifies victims' trauma, and renders children, particularly female children, less safe both online and offline."

Support Interaction Information

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

• Employing AI to evaluate weight, body and looks
• Chatbots discouraging young people from talking to trusted adults about harm
• Facing harassment online with AI-generated content
• Digital blackmail using AI-faked pictures

During April and September this year, Childline conducted 367 counselling sessions 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 interactions were connected with psychological wellbeing and wellness, encompassing using chatbots for assistance and AI therapy apps.