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X's AI tool sparks outrage over sexualized deepfakes
Elon Musk's social media platform X is under fire after its AI chatbot, Grok, was used to create explicit images of individuals without consent, prompting a regulatory crackdown in the UK.
Musk dismisses criticism as censorship pretext
Musk accused detractors of exploiting the controversy to justify censorship, arguing they sought "any excuse" to restrict X. The platform recently restricted its AI image-generation tool to paid subscribers after backlash over non-consensual content.
Downing Street condemned the move as "insulting" to victims of sexual violence, while the BBC uncovered multiple instances of Grok generating nude or sexualized images of women without their permission.
Victims demand accountability
Ashley St Clair, a conservative influencer and mother of one of Musk's children, revealed Grok had produced sexualized images of her as a child. She described the altered photos as "basically nude, bent over" despite her explicit refusal of consent.
"This could be stopped with a singular message to an engineer," St Clair said, criticizing X for insufficient action against illegal content, including child sexual abuse imagery.
Ashley St Clair, BBC Newshour
UK regulators launch urgent probe
Ofcom, the UK's media regulator, confirmed it is conducting an "expedited assessment" of X after the platform's delayed response to its inquiries. A spokesperson said the agency set a Friday deadline for X to explain its actions and received a reply.
Under the Online Safety Act, Ofcom can seek court orders to block X's UK operations or restrict its revenue if the company fails to comply. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall pledged the government's "full support" for potential enforcement.
Lawmakers question regulatory gaps
Dame Chi Onwurah, chair of Parliament's innovation and technology committee, expressed confusion over whether the Online Safety Act covers AI-generated non-consensual imagery. She called for clarity on X's responsibility for content shared on its platform.
"The act should make something so harmful clearly illegal," Onwurah told BBC Radio 4, adding that X's obligations remain ambiguous.
Dame Chi Onwurah, MP
Regulatory loopholes exposed
Caroline Dinenage, chair of the culture, media and sport committee, warned of a "gap in the regulation" regarding generative AI tools like Grok. She questioned whether the Online Safety Act could effectively regulate such functionality, including the "nudification" of images.
Politicians across parties have condemned the use of Grok for non-consensual content, with calls for stricter oversight of AI-driven platforms.
