Overview
- The government has tabled an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill to allow designated organisations to test AI systems for their ability to generate or spread child sexual abuse material.
- Technology and Home Secretaries will be able to designate authorised testers, including AI developers and child‑protection groups such as the Internet Watch Foundation.
- The measure resolves a legal barrier that has prevented safety testing because creating or possessing such material is an offence, enabling controlled pre‑release evaluations.
- Internet Watch Foundation data show reports of AI‑generated CSAM doubled year on year from 199 to 426, with Category A content rising to 56% of cases and depictions of 0–2‑year‑olds increasing from 5 to 92.
- An expert group will design safeguards to prevent data leaks and protect researchers, while charities welcome the move and the NSPCC urges mandatory testing across the industry; checks will also cover extreme pornography and non‑consensual intimate images.