—willThe UK government is stepping up its fight against child sexual abuse material (CSAM) by introducing stricter rules for artificial intelligence. Under a new amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill, “authorised testers”—including tech companies and child safety charities — will be allowed to proactively check AI systems to ensure they cannot produce illegal content involving children.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall emphasized that the new measures will “make AI systems safe at the source,” while some experts argue more mandatory safeguards are needed.
The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) revealed that AI-related CSAM reports have doubled in the past year. Between January and October 2025, the charity removed 426 reported items, up from 199 in the same period in 2024.
Kerry Smith, CEO of IWF, welcomed the proposals, warning that AI tools can quickly generate photorealistic abuse content, putting survivors at renewed risk. Rani Govender of the NSPCC called for mandatory AI safety checks, stating that accountability must be embedded in AI product design to truly protect children.
The government also plans to extend AI safeguards to cover extreme pornography and non-consensual intimate images. Experts have long warned that AI trained on vast online content could make policing illegal material harder, as distinguishing between real and AI-generated content becomes more challenging.
organizationsEarlier this year, the UK became the first country to criminalize the creation, possession, or distribution of AI tools designed to generate CSAM, carrying penalties of up to five years in prison. Kendall stressed that empowering trusted organisations to test AI models ensures child safety is integrated into AI development from the start.
Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips added that the rules will help prevent legitimate AI from being exploited to create harmful content, giving children better protection from predators.
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