UK to introduce new laws against AI Deepfakes amid Grok controversy
The UK will bring in laws this week that will make it illegal to create non-consensual, intimate images following concerns over Elon Musks AI chatbot Grok.
Following concerns from the Grok AI deepfakes, the Culture Sectary Liz Kendall has been speaking in the House of Commons about how the UK will tackle these issues.
Grok AI is the built in chatbot feature on X, formally known as Twitter, which was released as a preview to select users in November 2023.
New laws will make it illegal for companies to supply the tools that generate intimate and inappropriate images.
Speaking in the Commons, Kendall said ‘AI-generated pictures of women and children in states of undress, created without a person’s consent, were not “harmless images” but “weapons of abuse”.
She confirmed it will be made a ‘priority offence’ in the Online Safety Act.
“Let me be crystal clear - under the Online Safety Act, sharing intimate images of people without their consent, or threatening to share them, including pictures of people in their underwear, is a criminal offence for individuals and for platforms.
“This means individuals are committing a criminal offence if they create or seek to create such content including on X, and anyone who does this should expect to face the full extent of the law.”
It is currently illegal to share deepfake images of adults in the UK however until now, legislation to make it a criminal offence to create or request them has not been enforced.
It comes as the built in chatbot has faced intense backlash in recent weeks after generating and sharing an AI image depicting two young girls in sexualised attire.
Elon Musk has since said that the image generating feature has been limited to paid subscribers only. Legal experts and child protection groups said the change does not address the underlying harm.
Ofcom has also launched an investigation into the social media site after they received ‘deeply concerning reports’ against Grok for sharing inappropriate images.
If found to have broken the law, Ofcom can potentially issue X with a fine of up to 10% of its worldwide revenue or £18 million, whichever is greater.
Elon Musk has responded saying ‘Anyone using or prompting Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content.’
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Excellent reporting as always
Such an important topic, and very well written ❤️