Ofcom has initiated a formal probe into Elon Musk’s X regarding the production of sexualized deepfake images by its AI chatbot tool. The UK media regulator aims to determine if the social media platform has violated its obligations under the Online Safety Act, with potential penalties of up to £18 million or 10% of global revenue.
Potential business disruption measures, like compelling payment providers or ad services to disassociate from the platform, may also be imposed. Ofcom has committed to prioritizing this investigation urgently.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall has endorsed the investigation and urged Ofcom to swiftly conclude it. She plans to update Parliament on the government’s response later today.
Following reports of concerns, Ofcom recently engaged with Musk’s X and xAI over the use of Grok, an AI chatbot, to create inappropriate content. Ofcom expressed deep worry over the creation and sharing of non-consensual intimate images and child sexual abuse material on the platform.
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy indicated US Vice President JD Vance’s support in addressing the issue of Grok-produced images. However, there was backlash from Donald Trump’s free speech advisor likening the UK’s response to Russia’s actions.
The US State Department’s Sarah Rogers mentioned the UK contemplating a ban similar to Russia’s to safeguard against certain images. The Internet Watch Foundation disclosed findings of illicit imagery produced using Grok, potentially leading to more severe content creation.
In response, X acknowledged existing lapses in safeguards and committed to rectifying them promptly. Musk emphasized the consequences for unlawful content creation using Grok. X announced that the creation of deepfakes via Grok will become a premium service, drawing criticism.
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