The UK government has issued a stern directive to Elon Musk’s social media platform X, demanding immediate intervention regarding its artificial intelligence system Grok. Authorities have raised alarms about the AI tool’s capability to generate fabricated sexually explicit imagery depicting minors through its controversial ‘spicy mode’ feature.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall characterized the situation as “absolutely appalling and unacceptable in decent society” during an official statement. She emphasized the urgency for X to address these critical concerns promptly.
This development occurs amidst growing international scrutiny of Grok’s functionality. The European Commission confirmed on Monday that it is conducting a serious review of complaints against the AI system. Simultaneously, UK media regulator Ofcom has initiated investigations into both X and its subsidiary xAI, the creator of Grok.
Secretary Kendall explicitly endorsed Ofcom’s authority to pursue any necessary enforcement actions against the companies. This stance is reinforced by Britain’s recently implemented Online Safety Act, which became effective in July. The legislation mandates that digital platforms hosting potentially harmful content implement rigorous age verification protocols, including facial recognition technology and credit card authentication.
The Act explicitly prohibits the creation or distribution of non-consensual intimate imagery and child sexual abuse material, extending to AI-generated sexual deepfakes. Non-compliant organizations face substantial penalties of either 10% of their global revenue or £18 million (approximately $24 million), whichever amount proves greater.
In a related move, the UK government has announced forthcoming prohibitions on ‘nudification’ tools that digitally remove clothing from photographs of individuals. XAI acknowledged last Friday that it had identified deficiencies in Grok’s protective measures, describing them as “lapses in safeguards,” and committed to addressing these issues urgently.