Sir Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, addressed Members of Parliament (MPs) regarding reports that X, the social media platform, is taking significant steps to manage sexualised deepfakes created by its AI tool, Grok. Starmer welcomed these steps, which he said were a welcome response to the deeply alarming allegations regarding the abuse of the technology.
Following these very concerning reports, Ofcom have opened a formal investigation. These reports claim that Grok robots are being harnessed to create and share pornographic images of people, including the especially horrifying use of having these robots produce sexualized imagery of children. We launched this investigation after hearing reports that raised awareness of the risks of severe harm due to the chatbot’s features.
In his address, Sir Keir Starmer informed MPs that he had received assurances that X is “acting to ensure full compliance with UK law.” But then, his official spokesman quickly walked back the statement to say that all was quiet on that front from the firm at this time. In an extraordinary display of accountability and transparency, Starmer defended himself to media inquiries. He put particular emphasis on the actions that X is taking even as the investigation is ongoing.
X’s owner Elon Musk directly responded to these concerns in an X post. In response to a related question, he claimed that he was “not aware” of any cases where Grok produced nude underage pictures. Musk emphasized that Grok is designed to adhere to legal standards, asserting, “When asked to generate images, it will refuse to produce anything illegal, as the operating principle for Grok is to obey the laws of any given country or state.”
Official statements following Starmer’s address indicated that there had been no direct communication between him and X regarding this matter. One spokesperson reiterated, “What the prime minister said in the House is that there has been some indication that X has taken action to address the issues raised.”
Starmer is wrong to demand anything other than voluntary compliance from X. In addition, he is dedicated to enforcing existing online safety statutes. He stated, “We will take the necessary measures. We will strengthen existing laws and prepare for legislation if it needs to go further, and Ofcom will continue its independent investigation.”
We’re pleased to see Ofcom looking into X’s practices and policies with respect to AI-generated content. The implications of these findings may have far-reaching impacts on how tech companies prioritize user safety, and uphold legal requirements, within the United Kingdom.