Generating sexual images without consent is set to become illegal this week as the Government ramps up its response to AI chatbot Grok, Technology Secretary Liz Kendall announced on Monday.
The British government announced it will criminalize creating non consensual AI generated images from this week, calling them weapons of abuse. Currently, it is not illegal to produce sexual images of someone over the age of 18, but it is illegal to share them without consent. The new law changes that threshold.
The Data (Use and Access) Act passed last year made it a criminal offence to create or request the creation of non consensual intimate images. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology did not specify which day it would come into effect.
Nudification apps will also be criminalised as part of the Crime and Policing Bill, which is currently going through Parliament. The legislation will make it illegal for companies to supply tools to create such images, which Kendall said would target the problem at its source.
The announcement follows widespread anger over images made using Elon Musk’s chatbot Grok. Any person who has images of themselves posted on X has become susceptible to trolling user requests to undress her completely or show her in a bikini. CBS News has verified that Grok fulfilled user requests asking it to edit images of women to show them in bikinis or little clothing, including prominent public figures such as first lady Melania Trump.
Kate Middleton was targeted by Grok AI deepfake, depicted in a bikini without her consent. Nell Fisher, a 14 year old actress who plays Holly Wheeler in Stranger Things, was another victim. A picture of a then 13 year old Stranger Things actor was tweaked to show them in bikini, pushing the service into criminal territory.
Musk added the ability to generate images using artificial intelligence to Grok last year. Any image uploaded on the platform can be turned explicit with just a simple @Grok request, with the AI chatbot replying with the edited image right there.
It was the fact that Grok failed to even distinguish between adult and children that crossed the line, and freely generated intimate content featuring minors on X.
In response to some of the criticisms of the AI, Grok recently moved its image generation to a paid premium option. Users must now attach their name and payment information, potentially making those who abuse the feature easier to trace.
Elon Musk appeared defiant despite the outcry, claiming critics of X want any excuse for censorship. He also shared another post with AI images of Keir Starmer in a bikini, saying they just want to suppress free speech.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he wants all options to be on the table, including a potential ban on Elon Musk’s X platform in Britain. This is disgraceful, it’s disgusting and it’s not to be tolerated, Starmer told a radio station. X has got to get a grip of this.
Ofcom has launched an investigation into whether social media platform X has breached UK law over reports that Grok had been used to create undressed images. The regulator has the power to issue fines of up to 18 million pounds or 10 per cent of a company’s global revenue for non compliance. In extreme cases, it can seek court orders to block access to the platform.
Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna, a Republican member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, threatened to sanction the UK government if Starmer moved to ban X in the UK. If Starmer is successful in banning X in Britain, I will move forward with legislation that is currently being drafted to sanction not only Starmer, but Britain as a whole, she wrote on X.
Indonesia and Malaysia have already blocked Grok access in their respective regions.
