The United Kingdom is poised to become the first country to implement laws targeting the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to create s*xual abuse images, the government announced on Saturday.
The pioneering legislation is set to criminalize the possession, creation, or distribution of AI tools used to generate sexualized images of children, with offenders facing up to five years in prison.
The proposed laws will also make it illegal to possess AI-generated “pedophile manuals” that instruct individuals on exploiting AI for child sexual abuse, with penalties of up to three years in prison, according to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper.
In an interview with Sky News on Sunday, Cooper called the issue a “disturbing phenomenon” and emphasized the growing threat posed by AI. “Online child sexual abuse material is increasing, and AI is amplifying the problem,” she said. “These tools are being used to groom children, manipulate their images, and even blackmail them into further abuse. It’s one of the most vile crimes.”
The new legislation will target AI models specifically designed for child abuse and criminalize predators who run websites enabling the sharing of sexual abuse content or offering advice on grooming children. Those operating such platforms could face up to ten years in prison.
The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), which monitors online child exploitation, has raised concerns over the growing use of AI in creating child sexual abuse images. Over a 30-day period in 2024, IWF analysts found 3,512 AI-generated child abuse images on one dark web platform. The number of the most severe category of images increased by 10 percent over the year, according to the organization.
Cooper referenced findings from a recent inquiry, revealing that approximately 500,000 children across the UK suffer some form of abuse each year, with a rising number of these cases occurring online. The new measures will be included in the upcoming Crime and Policing Bill to be presented in Parliament.
“This is an international issue, but the UK is leading the way,” Cooper said, urging other nations to follow. The government has stressed the urgency of tackling the misuse of AI to protect children from this escalating threat.
