The federal government has issued a stark warning to Elon Musk’s synthetic intelligence firm xAI, signalling it’s ready to dam entry to its Grok chatbot within the UK if it fails to adjust to British regulation on on-line security.
Expertise Secretary Liz Kendall stated on Friday that ministers are shifting swiftly to criminalise the creation of intimate pictures with out consent, as issues mount over the misuse of AI instruments to generate sexualised pictures of girls and youngsters.
Her feedback observe stories that Grok, xAI’s chatbot built-in into the social media platform X, has continued to permit customers to generate sexually manipulated pictures if they’re prepared to pay for premium entry, regardless of public assurances that safeguards had been tightened.
Kendall described the observe as “despicable and abhorrent”, including that it was “completely unacceptable” for any platform to revenue from such content material.
She stated the federal government expects the media regulator Ofcom to behave decisively and directly. “I, and extra importantly the general public, would count on to see Ofcom replace on subsequent steps in days, not weeks,” she stated, urging the regulator to make use of the complete vary of powers granted by Parliament below the On-line Security Act.
The Expertise Secretary explicitly reminded xAI that UK regulation permits regulators to dam companies from being accessed domestically in the event that they refuse to conform. She stated that any resolution by Ofcom to make use of these powers would have the federal government’s “full assist”.
Kendall confirmed that ministers are additionally legislating to ban so-called “nudification” apps, which use AI to digitally undress people with out consent. The measure is included within the Crime and Policing Invoice at present earlier than Parliament.
As well as, she stated new authorized powers will come into power inside weeks to make the creation of non-consensual intimate pictures a prison offence, closing a loophole that has allowed AI-generated abuse to unfold sooner than enforcement mechanisms.
She additionally warned that platforms are anticipated to conform absolutely with Ofcom’s new steerage on violence in opposition to girls and women (VAWG). “If they don’t,” she stated, “I’m ready to go additional.”
The intervention marks one of many strongest indicators but that the federal government is prepared to escalate its response to AI-driven abuse, notably the place kids and girls are focused.
“We’re as decided to make sure girls and women are secure on-line as we’re to make sure they’re secure in the actual world,” Kendall stated. “No excuses.”
Paul Jones
Harvard alumni and former New York Occasions journalist. Editor of Enterprise Issues for over 15 years, the UKs largest enterprise journal. I’m additionally head of Capital Enterprise Media’s automotive division working for shoppers comparable to Purple Bull Racing, Honda, Aston Martin and Infiniti.
