The United Kingdom is contemplating a ban on Elon Musk”s social media platform, X, previously known as Twitter, following serious allegations regarding its artificial intelligence capabilities. According to a report by The Telegraph, the UK government may restrict access to the platform amidst controversies surrounding AI-generated explicit images of women and children.
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer recently instructed the media regulator Ofcom to explore all potential actions after disturbing reports surfaced that X”s AI chatbot, Grok, had been implicated in generating child sexual abuse images. “This is disgraceful. It”s disgusting, and it”s not to be tolerated,” stated Starmer, emphasizing the need for X to address these issues promptly.
On the previous Wednesday, a UK internet watchdog revealed it had discovered images produced by Grok that had circulated on a dark web forum, qualifying as illegal child sexual abuse material. This alarming revelation adds to the growing list of explicit deepfake images created by Grok at the behest of X users, including depictions of civilians and notable figures such as cabinet ministers and celebrities.
The report further indicates that the UK government may leverage the powers of the Online Safety Act, which allows authorities to impose hefty fines or even block access to platforms that consistently fail to remove illegal content. With X boasting around 20 million users in the UK, the implications of such a ban would be significant.
Elon Musk has previously criticized the UK”s Online Safety Act, accusing it of aiming to “suppress the people.” Recently, he directed staff at his AI venture, xAI, to relax the restrictions on Grok, expressing dissatisfaction with what he deemed excessive censorship. As of now, Musk has not officially commented on the UK”s potential decision regarding the ban on the platform.
The developments surrounding X highlight the ongoing tensions between social media regulation, AI technology, and user-generated content, raising critical questions about the responsibilities of tech platforms in safeguarding their users and society at large.
