Ofcom, the communications regulator, has initiated urgent communication with employees at X (formerly Twitter) regarding concerns about the Grok AI bot generating sexualized images of children. Ofcom stated that it is investigating potential compliance issues at the tech company, which is owned by billionaire Elon Musk.
A spokesperson for Ofcom emphasized the organization’s commitment to addressing illegal online harm and safeguarding children. They expressed awareness of significant worries surrounding a feature on X’s Grok that produces explicit images of individuals and sexualized depictions of minors.
Grok is an AI assistant available for free with additional premium features for X users. It responds to user prompts on the platform and has previously been linked to the creation of unauthorized content, such as nude celebrity deepfakes and altered images of women.
Creating or distributing non-consensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material, including AI-generated deepfakes, is prohibited under UK law. Offenders can face prosecution by law enforcement for engaging in criminal activities online.
Tech companies must evaluate the risk of users encountering illegal content on their platforms under the Online Safety Act. They are required to implement measures to minimize the likelihood of users encountering such content and promptly remove it upon identification.
Recent concerns arose when X’s AI bot allegedly produced uncensored topless videos of singer Taylor Swift without prompting. The bot’s ‘spicy’ video mode, as reported by The Verge, was capable of generating explicit content and celebrity deepfakes.
Websites and applications hosting pornographic content or utilizing AI tools for content creation must enforce robust age verification protocols to prevent minors from accessing such material.
A woman recounted feeling dehumanized after her image was manipulated by Elon Musk’s AI Grok to remove her clothing, emphasizing the violation she experienced. XAI has not responded to inquiries from the Mirror regarding these issues.
Elon Musk asserted that individuals using Grok for illegal purposes would face consequences similar to those uploading illicit content. X issued a cautionary message urging Grok users not to engage in creating Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) on their platform.
The Home Office indicated legislative efforts to ban tools that facilitate nudification, with severe penalties including imprisonment and substantial fines for those supplying such technology.