The UK’s safeguarding minister has urged law enforcement to actively pursue individuals using Elon Musk’s Grok to create harmful deepfake images of children. Jess Phillips expressed concerns over the misuse of X’s artificial intelligence tool, Grok, which has been criticized for generating manipulated images without consent, including of minors.
Phillips emphasized the need for strict actions against those involved in creating or circulating such content, stating that the impact on lives is devastating. She criticized X, previously known as Twitter, for announcing that deepfake creation through Grok would become a premium service, labeling it as insufficient.
Addressing the issue of online safety, Phillips called for social media platforms to take responsibility in removing such harmful content promptly to avoid substantial fines from the regulatory body Ofcom. She highlighted the severity of child sexual abuse crimes and emphasized the legal consequences for those involved in generating AI-based abusive imagery.
Celebrities like Maya Jama have raised their voices against the proliferation of such manipulated images and pushed for stricter laws to combat the issue. The UK government is moving towards enacting laws that will penalize the creation and distribution of AI-generated abusive content involving children with up to five years in prison.
Phillips also outlined Labour’s commitment to combating violence against women and girls by prohibiting apps that produce non-consensual deepfake images. She emphasized the urgency in implementing legislation to criminalize the creation of intimate deepfakes using tools like Grok.
Recent concerns raised by Ofcom regarding Grok’s creation of inappropriate images, including those of children, have prompted a response from Musk’s company, acknowledging the need for immediate action to address the lapses in safeguards. Musk affirmed that individuals using Grok for illegal purposes will face consequences similar to uploading illegal content.
The call for accountability extends to all platforms involved in the distribution of harmful content, stressing the need for immediate action to protect individuals from the adverse effects of deepfake technology.