UK Urges Elon Musk to Address Deepfake Intimate Images

UK Joins European Call

The United Kingdom has urged X, the platform owned by Elon Musk, to urgently tackle the proliferation of intimate "deepfake" images generated on demand via its AI chatbot Grok, joining a European protest regarding the rise of non-consensual images available on the platform.

Statement from the Technology Minister

Technology Minister Liz Kendall described this content as "absolutely shocking" and called for swift action from the social media platform. "No one should have to experience seeing deepfake intimate images of themselves online," Kendall remarked. "We cannot and will not allow the proliferation of these degrading images, which disproportionately target women and girls."

Urgent Calls for Action

Kendall underscored that "X must address this situation immediately." Meanwhile, X has not yet responded to media inquiries following the minister's statement. X's Safety account mentioned that they remove any illegal content from the platform and permanently suspend involved accounts. "Anyone who uses or requests Grok to create illegal content will face the same consequences as if they uploaded illegal content themselves," the statement read.

Growing Concerns

The creation or distribution of non-consensual intimate images or materials related to child sexual abuse, including AI-generated sexual images, is illegal in the UK. Additionally, technology platforms must prevent UK users from encountering such illegal content and remove it immediately when they become aware of it.

Musk's Reaction and European Concerns

Musk minimized the concerns online, posting laughing emojis in response to edited images of public figures in swimsuits. On Monday, the European Commission stated it is aware that X offers a "spicy" mode and condemned the images as illegal. Furthermore, the UK's media regulator, Ofcom, stated that it has made "urgent contact" with X and its AI division xAI to understand what measures they are taking to comply with legal protections for UK users.

Ongoing Issues with Grok

Grok has consistently faced controversies regarding the content it produces, including misinformation and deepfake images of elected officials ahead of the upcoming 2024 US presidential elections, involving insults directed at Polish and Turkish politicians and producing antisemitic content.