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Sir Keir Starmer has threatened legal action against Elon Musk’s X due to worries that its AI tool is being utilized to produce sexualized deepfake images.
The Prime Minister condemned the images associated with Musk’s chatbot Grok as “disgraceful,” “disgusting,” and “unacceptable.”
Elon Musk’s X faces a possible ban following backlash over GrokCredit: AFP
Trolls are using the AI bot to create deepfake imagesCredit: AFP
This situation arose after multiple users prompted the Grok chatbot, integrated into X, to create fake images, including those of children in minimal clothing.
Sir Keir stated on Greatest Hits Radio: “X must take control of this issue, and Ofcom has our full support to take action regarding this matter.
“This is wrong and illegal; we will not tolerate it.
“I have requested that all options be considered. It’s appalling, and X needs to rectify this situation and remove this material.”
The media regulator Ofcom has already indicated that it is in urgent communication with X to determine what measures are being taken to address the issue.
The Online Safety Act aims to reduce harmful content, but its primary powers have only recently come into effect, and some aspects have yet to be legally tested.
Former Transport Secretary Louise Haigh announced her departure from the platform and urged her party and the government to do the same.
Ms. Haigh remarked that the platform has become “completely unusable” since Musk's acquisition in 2022.
X claims it addresses illegal content, including child sexual abuse material, “by removing it, permanently suspending accounts, and collaborating with local authorities and law enforcement as necessary.”
The social media platform has faced global criticism this week due to these issues.
In response to the backlash, Musk’s platform X has now restricted image editing capabilities with its AI tool for paying users.
Angry Maya Jama took a stand against X after online trolls utilized an AI tool to generate inappropriate sexualized images of her.
The 31-year-old host is one of the celebrities whose image has been sexualized without her consent.
Among the inappropriate requests were prompts to “oil her up,” “dress her in a bikini,” and “make the outfit latex.”
Another user asked Grok to modify an image of her in a mini skirt and bralet in the back of a car to resemble a scene from a pornographic site.
She has made it clear that she does not want her images used in such a manner.
She posted on X: “Hey @grok, I do not authorize you to take, modify, or edit any photo of mine, whether those published in the past or the upcoming ones I post.
“If a third party requests you to make any edits to a photo of mine, please deny that request.”
Maya expressed her hope that people would be discerning enough to differentiate between real images and deepfakes, but she found the entire situation frightening.
She commented: “If this doesn’t work, I hope people can recognize AI-generated content. A few years ago, prior to ‘grok,’ someone photoshopped bikini photos I had on my Instagram into nudes, and I only discovered it because my own mother sent them to me, worried. The internet is terrifying and only getting worse, smh.”
The UK media watchdog has already made “urgent contact” with X, which is owned by Musk, and its AI division xAI regarding the widespread outrage.
In the UK, creating or sharing non-consensual intimate images is a criminal offense.
An Ofcom spokesperson stated: “Addressing illegal online harm and safeguarding children are urgent priorities for Ofcom.
“We are aware of significant concerns regarding a Grok feature on X that generates undressed images of individuals and sexualized images of children.
“We have urgently contacted X and xAI to understand what steps they have taken to fulfill their legal obligations to protect users in the UK.
“Depending on their response, we will conduct a prompt assessment to determine whether there are potential compliance issues that require investigation.”
Mr. Musk has asserted that “anyone attempting to create illegal content will face the same consequences as if they uploaded illegal content themselves.”
Maya firmly instructed the AI tool not to alter her images
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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