Musk says outcry over X's Grok service is 'excuse for censorship'

[ad_1] Elon Musk has mentioned critics of his social media website X are on the lookout for "any excuse for censorship", after its synthetic intelligence (AI) chatbot Grok drew criticism over its use to create sexualised photos of individuals with out their information or consent.

Ofcom says it's conducting an pressing evaluation of X in response, with the backing of Know-how Secretary Liz Kendall.

However the chairwomen of Parliament's expertise and media committees have each mentioned they're involved that "gaps" within the On-line Security Act may hinder the media regulator's potential to take care of the matter.

X has now restricted the usage of AI picture operate to those that pay a month-to-month payment, a change dubbed by Downing Road as "insulting" to victims of sexual violence.

The BBC has seen a number of examples of the free AI instrument undressing ladies and placing them in sexual conditions with out their consent.

Kendall mentioned on Friday that expects an replace from Ofcom inside days, and that it will have the federal government's full assist ought to it resolve to dam X within the UK.

Musk reposted numerous messages on the location in a single day criticising the federal government's reproval of Grok - together with one which confirmed AI-generated photos of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in a bikini.

"They simply need to suppress free speech," Musk wrote.

Ashley St Clair, the mom of one in all Elon Musk's youngsters, advised BBC Newshour on Friday that Grok had generated sexualised images of her as a toddler.

The conservative influencer mentioned her picture had been "stripped" to seem "principally nude, bent over", regardless of her telling Grok that she didn't consent to the sexualised photos.

St Clair, who filed a lawsuit in opposition to Musk in 2025 searching for sole custody of their baby, accused the social media website of "not taking sufficient motion" to deal with unlawful content material, together with baby sexual abuse imagery.

"This could possibly be stopped with a singular message to an engineer," she mentioned.

As of Friday morning, Grok was telling customers asking it to change photos uploaded to X that "picture technology and modifying are at present restricted to paying subscribers", including customers "can subscribe to unlock these options".

An Ofcom spokesperson mentioned on Friday: "We urgently made contact [with X] on Monday and set a agency deadline of as we speak to elucidate themselves, to which we have now acquired a response.

"We're now enterprise an expedited evaluation as a matter of urgency and can present additional updates shortly."

Ofcom's powers beneath the On-line Security Act embody having the ability to search a court docket order to stop third events from serving to X increase cash or be accessed within the UK - ought to the agency refuse to conform.

However Dame Chi Onwurah, chairwoman of the innovation and expertise committee, mentioned she was "involved and confused" about how the matter is "really being addressed", and has written to Ofcom and Kendall for clarification.

Dame Chi mentioned it was "unclear" beneath the On-line Security Act whether or not the creation of such photos utilizing AI was unlawful, as was the accountability of social media websites for what was shared on their platforms.

"The act ought to actually make one thing so dangerous to so many individuals clearly unlawful, and X's accountability must be clear," she advised BBC Radio 4's Immediately programme.

Caroline Dinenage, chairwoman of the tradition, media and sport committee, likewise mentioned she had a "actual worry that there's a hole within the regulation".

"There are doubts as as to if the On-line Security Act really has the ability to manage performance - which means generative AI's potential to nudify somebody's picture," she advised BBC Breakfast.

The usage of Grok to generate non-consensual sexualised photos has been condemned by politicians on all sides:

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer referred to as it "disgraceful" and "disgusting"Reform UK chief Nigel Farage mentioned it was "horrible in each means" and that X "must go additional" than the modifications it had made to Grok on Friday, however he added that banning the platform can be an assault on free speech The Liberal Democrats referred to as for entry to X to be briefly restricted within the UK whereas the social media website was investigated. Elsewhere, Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese mentioned he agreed with Starmer that the fabric was "fully abhorrent".

"It, as soon as once more, is an instance of social media not displaying social accountability," Albanese mentioned, including that Australia's digital security commissioner was trying on the scenario.

"Australians and certainly, world residents deserve higher."

In the meantime, Grok was briefly suspended in Indonesia on Saturday. The nation's digital minister mentioned "non-consensual sexual deepfakes [were] a severe violation of human rights, dignity and the safety of residents within the digital area".