🔗 Share this article UK Technology Companies and Child Safety Agencies to Test AI's Ability to Create Abuse Images Technology companies and child safety agencies will receive authority to evaluate whether AI tools can produce child exploitation images under recently introduced British legislation. Significant Rise in AI-Generated Illegal Material The announcement coincided with revelations from a protection monitoring body showing that reports of AI-generated child sexual abuse material have more than doubled in the past year, rising from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025. Updated Legal Structure Under the amendments, the government will allow approved AI developers and child safety groups to inspect AI models – the foundational technology for conversational AI and image generators – and ensure they have adequate protective measures to stop them from producing depictions of child sexual abuse. "Ultimately about preventing abuse before it occurs," stated Kanishka Narayan, adding: "Experts, under strict conditions, can now identify the risk in AI models early." Tackling Regulatory Obstacles The changes have been implemented because it is illegal to produce and possess CSAM, meaning that AI developers and others cannot generate such images as part of a evaluation process. Until now, authorities had to wait until AI-generated CSAM was published online before dealing with it. This legislation is aimed at preventing that problem by helping to halt the production of those images at source. Legislative Structure The amendments are being introduced by the government as modifications to the crime and policing bill, which is also establishing a ban on owning, creating or sharing AI models designed to generate child sexual abuse material. Practical Impact This week, the minister toured the London headquarters of Childline and listened to a simulated conversation to counsellors featuring a report of AI-based abuse. The call depicted a adolescent seeking help after facing extortion using a sexualised deepfake of himself, created using AI. "When I hear about children experiencing extortion online, it is a cause of intense frustration in me and rightful concern amongst parents," he stated. Concerning Statistics A leading online safety organization stated that instances of AI-generated exploitation content – such as online pages that may contain numerous images – had more than doubled so far this year. Instances of the most severe content – the gravest form of abuse – increased from 2,621 visual files to 3,086. Girls were overwhelmingly targeted, making up 94% of prohibited AI images in 2025 Portrayals of infants to two-year-olds rose from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025 Industry Response The legislative amendment could "represent a vital step to guarantee AI products are secure before they are released," commented the chief executive of the online safety foundation. "AI tools have made it so victims can be victimised 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 survivors' suffering, and makes children, especially female children, less safe both online and offline." Counseling Interaction Data The children's helpline also published details of support sessions where AI has been referenced. AI-related risks discussed in the sessions comprise: Using AI to evaluate body size, body and looks AI assistants discouraging young people from consulting safe adults about harm Facing harassment online with AI-generated content Digital blackmail using AI-faked pictures During April and September this year, the helpline conducted 367 counselling sessions where AI, chatbots and related topics were discussed, significantly more 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, including utilizing chatbots for support and AI therapy applications.