British Tech Firms and Child Safety Agencies to Test AI's Ability to Create Exploitation Content

Tech firms and child protection agencies will be granted permission to assess whether artificial intelligence tools can generate child exploitation material under recently introduced UK legislation.

Significant Rise in AI-Generated Harmful Material

The announcement coincided with findings from a safety watchdog showing that reports of AI-generated child sexual abuse material have increased dramatically in the last twelve months, growing from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025.

New Regulatory Structure

Under the amendments, the authorities will permit approved AI companies and child safety groups to examine AI models – the underlying systems for chatbots and visual AI tools – and ensure they have adequate protective measures to stop them from producing depictions of child exploitation.

"Fundamentally about preventing exploitation before it happens," stated the minister for AI and online safety, noting: "Specialists, under rigorous protocols, can now identify the danger in AI models early."

Tackling Legal Challenges

The amendments have been implemented because it is illegal to create and own CSAM, meaning that AI developers and other parties cannot create such content as part of a evaluation 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 helping to halt the creation of those materials at their origin.

Legislative Framework

The changes are being introduced by the government as revisions to the criminal justice legislation, which is also implementing a ban on possessing, producing or distributing AI systems developed to create child sexual abuse material.

Real-World Consequences

This week, the official toured the London base of a children's helpline and listened to a simulated conversation to counsellors featuring a account of AI-based exploitation. The call portrayed a teenager requesting help after facing extortion using a sexualised deepfake of themselves, created using AI.

"When I learn about young people facing blackmail online, it is a source of extreme frustration in me and rightful concern amongst families," he said.

Alarming Data

A prominent online safety organization reported that instances of AI-generated abuse material – such as webpages that may include multiple files – had more than doubled so far this year.

Instances of the most severe material – the most serious form of abuse – rose from 2,621 images or videos to 3,086.

• Girls were predominantly victimized, 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

Industry Reaction

The legislative amendment could "constitute a vital step to ensure AI products are safe before they are launched," commented the chief executive of the internet monitoring organization.

"Artificial intelligence systems have made it so survivors can be victimised repeatedly with just a few clicks, providing criminals the ability to create potentially limitless quantities of advanced, photorealistic exploitative content," she continued. "Content which additionally exploits survivors' trauma, and renders young people, particularly girls, more vulnerable on and off line."

Support Session Information

The children's helpline also published information of support interactions where AI has been referenced. AI-related risks mentioned in the sessions include:

• Employing AI to evaluate body size, physique and looks
• Chatbots dissuading children from consulting trusted guardians about abuse
• Facing harassment online with AI-generated material
• Online extortion using AI-faked images

Between April and September this year, Childline delivered 367 support sessions where AI, chatbots and associated topics were discussed, four times as many as in the equivalent timeframe last year.

Fifty percent of the mentions of AI in the 2025 sessions were connected with mental health and wellbeing, encompassing utilizing AI assistants for assistance and AI therapy apps.