🔗 Share this article UK Tech Firms and Child Safety Officials to Test AI's Capability to Create Abuse Content Tech firms and child protection agencies will be granted permission to assess whether artificial intelligence tools can produce child abuse material under new UK laws. Substantial Rise in AI-Generated Harmful Content The declaration coincided with findings from a safety monitoring body showing that cases of AI-generated CSAM have increased dramatically in the past year, rising from 199 in 2024 to 426 in 2025. Updated Legal Framework Under the amendments, the government will allow approved AI developers and child safety groups to examine AI systems – the foundational technology for chatbots and visual AI tools – and ensure they have adequate protective measures to prevent them from creating depictions of child exploitation. "Fundamentally about preventing abuse before it occurs," declared the minister for AI and online safety, noting: "Experts, under strict conditions, can now detect the danger in AI systems promptly." Addressing Legal Challenges The amendments have been implemented because it is illegal to produce and own CSAM, meaning that AI developers and other parties cannot create such content as part of a evaluation regime. Until now, officials had to wait until AI-generated CSAM was uploaded online before addressing it. This legislation is aimed at preventing that problem by helping to stop the creation of those images at their origin. Legislative Structure The amendments are being added by the authorities as modifications to the crime and policing bill, which is also implementing a ban on possessing, creating or sharing AI models developed to create child sexual abuse material. Practical Consequences This week, the minister visited the London base of Childline and heard a mock-up call to advisors involving a report of AI-based exploitation. The call portrayed a teenager seeking help after being blackmailed using a explicit deepfake of themselves, created using AI. "When I hear about children facing blackmail online, it is a cause of intense frustration in me and rightful anger amongst families," he said. Alarming Statistics A leading online safety organization stated that cases of AI-generated exploitation content – such as online pages that may include multiple images – had more than doubled so far this year. Cases of category A content – the most serious form of exploitation – rose from 2,621 visual files to 3,086. Female children were predominantly victimized, accounting for 94% of prohibited AI images in 2025 Depictions of infants to toddlers rose from five in 2024 to 92 in 2025 Sector Response The legislative amendment could "constitute a vital step to ensure AI tools are secure before they are released," stated the chief executive of the online safety organization. "Artificial intelligence systems have made it so survivors can be victimised all over again with just a simple actions, giving offenders the ability to make possibly endless amounts of sophisticated, photorealistic exploitative content," she added. "Material which additionally commodifies survivors' trauma, and makes children, particularly girls, less safe on and off line." Support Session Information The children's helpline also released information of counselling sessions where AI has been mentioned. AI-related harms mentioned in the sessions include: Employing AI to evaluate body size, physique and appearance AI assistants dissuading children from consulting trusted adults about abuse Being bullied online with AI-generated material Online extortion using AI-faked pictures During April and September this year, Childline conducted 367 counselling interactions where AI, conversational AI and related topics were discussed, significantly more as many as in the equivalent timeframe last year. Half of the mentions of AI in the 2025 interactions were connected with mental health and wellbeing, including using AI assistants for assistance and AI therapy applications.