UK government urges social media platform X to tackle intimate deepfakes

UK Technology Minister Calls on X to Address Nonconsensual Images

The UK government has urged Elon Musk’s social media platform X to take immediate action against a proliferation of non-consensual intimate images created using its AI chatbot Grok. The comments come after reports emerged that Grok was generating a large number of non-consensual images of women and minors in skimpy clothing.

In a statement, Technology Minister Liz Kendall described the content as “absolutely appalling” and emphasized the need for X to address the issue urgently. She noted that no one should have to face the ordeal of seeing intimate deepfakes online and stressed that the government will not tolerate the proliferation of such demeaning images.

X has stated that it removes all illegal content on its platform and permanently suspends accounts involved in creating or sharing non-consensual intimate images. However, the company’s response to concerns about Grok has been criticized by some, with Musk previously responding to edited bikini images of public figures with laughing emojis.

The European Commission has also condemned X’s “spicy mode” as unlawful, while the UK’s media regulator Ofcom has made urgent contact with X and its AI arm xAI to understand their steps to comply with legal duties. French officials have reported X to prosecutors and regulators, calling the content “manifestly illegal”, and Indian authorities have demanded explanations.

Grok has faced scrutiny for producing a range of problematic content, including misinformation, deepfakes of elected officials, insults towards politicians, and anti-Semitic material. The incident highlights concerns about the use of AI on social media platforms to create and disseminate non-consensual intimate images.

Source: Al Jazeera