The safeguarding minister in the UK has urged the police to actively pursue individuals who utilize Elon Musk’s Grok to create harmful deepfake images of children. Jess Phillips emphasized that the tech mogul’s X platform should not evade responsibility amidst growing outrage over the issue. Grok, an artificial intelligence tool by X, faced criticism for generating manipulated images, including those of minors, without their consent.
Phillips condemned the existence of such features, highlighting the destructive impact on lives due to such abuse. Following X’s announcement that Grok’s deepfake creation service would be restricted to paying users, Phillips dismissed this move as inadequate. She stressed the need for law enforcement to vigorously pursue those involved in producing or circulating such disturbing content, with potential penalties of up to 10 years in prison for offenders.
The minister criticized the decision to limit the image generator to paid users as insufficient. She emphasized that tools facilitating the creation of degrading non-consensual images should not be tolerated, regardless of user status. Phillips called on X to collaborate with regulatory bodies to ensure legal compliance, emphasizing the devastating consequences of such abuse, especially on women and girls.
Phillips highlighted the legal obligation for social media platforms to promptly remove such content, warning of substantial fines by regulator Ofcom for non-compliance. She emphasized the government’s expectation for Ofcom to utilize its enforcement powers decisively, particularly in cases of child sexual abuse, which inflict enduring trauma on victims.
Notable figures like Maya Jama have demanded an end to the platform’s creation of such images. Proposed legislation by the government aims to penalize the creation, possession, and distribution of AI-generated child abuse images with up to five years in prison. Additionally, the Labour party’s strategy against violence targeting women and girls pledges to outlaw apps that generate deepfake images without consent.
Phillips underscored the government’s efforts to criminalize the creation of intimate deepfake images without consent using tools like Grok. Urgency was stressed in enforcing these measures through the Ministry of Justice. She called on X and other platforms to take responsibility without excuses, signaling government intervention if necessary.
Ofcom recently raised concerns with Musk’s X and xAI regarding Grok’s production of sexualized images of children. Following acknowledgment of lapses in safeguards by Grok, Musk affirmed that individuals using the platform for illegal content will face consequences.