The UK government on Tuesday urged Elon Musk’s social media platform X to act swiftly over the use of its artificial intelligence tool, Grok, in creating fake sexually explicit images involving children, warning that such content has no place in society.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall described recent online developments as deeply disturbing, stressing that immediate action was required from the platform. “What we have been seeing online in recent days has been absolutely appalling, and unacceptable in decent society,” she said in a statement, adding that “X needs to deal with this urgently”.
Grok has come under mounting international criticism after users were found to be generating sexualised deepfake images of women and minors through its so-called spicy mode setting. The controversy has sparked concern among regulators and policymakers across Europe.
On Monday, the European Commission said it was “very seriously” examining complaints linked to the AI tool, while the UK’s media regulator, Ofcom, confirmed it was also assessing the situation involving X and xAI, the company behind Grok.
Kendall said Ofcom had her full support to pursue enforcement measures where necessary, underlining the government’s determination to ensure compliance with existing laws.
Britain’s Online Safety Act, which came into force in July, places strict obligations on websites, social media platforms and video-sharing services that host potentially harmful content. These include the introduction of robust age-verification systems using tools such as facial recognition technology or credit card checks.
The law also makes it illegal to create or distribute non-consensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material, including AI-generated sexual deepfakes. Companies that fail to comply face severe penalties, including fines of up to 10 percent of global turnover or £18 million, whichever is higher.
In addition, the UK government has announced plans to outlaw so-called nudification tools that digitally remove clothing from people in images.
Responding to the backlash, Grok said on Friday that it had identified weaknesses within the AI system, describing them as “lapses in safeguards”, and stated it was working “urgently” to address the issues.
What you should know
The UK is intensifying scrutiny of AI-powered platforms amid growing concerns about the misuse of technology to generate harmful and illegal content.
With the Online Safety Act now in force, regulators have wide powers to sanction companies that fail to protect users, especially children.
The Grok controversy highlights increasing pressure on tech firms to strengthen safeguards as governments worldwide move to curb AI abuse.
