UK warns Elon Musk's X could be banned over Grok AI abuse

Elon Musk’s X is facing a serious threat of being banned in the United Kingdom over the platform’s AI chatbot, Grok, was used to generate and spread non-consensual “nudified” images of women and children.

The recent revelation prompted for Sir Keir Starmer to ask media regulator Ofcom for “all options to be on the table” after it appeared that child sexual abuse images had been generated using X’s AI chatbot, Grok.

Around 650 million users have been using social media sites worldwide, including 20 million in the UK.

In this connection, the Prime Minister said: “This is disgraceful. It’s disgusting and it’s not to be tolerated.

“X needs to get their act together and get this material down-and we will take action on this because it’s simply not tolerable.”

The recent warnings come as X users persist in producing thousands of nude images of women and children undressed using Grok’s AI, including poses in various states of undress.

According to The Telegraph, a UK internet watchdog warned it had uncovered Gro-generated images on a dark web forum that constitute illegal abuse material.

The recent row threatens a rift with the US free speech. The White House has accused Labour of backsliding over freedom of expression, and Donald Trump has directly criticized the UK’s tech rules calling them “not a good thing.”

The world’s richest man has criticized Britain’s Online Safety Act, asserting the law’s purpose is the “ suppression of the people.”

The new act will grant British officials the power to bar access to social media platforms that repeatedly miss the mark on removing illegal content, such as child abuse material.

Ofcom, the technology watchdog this week issued warnings that it could launch an investigation into X over the images and said it had made “urgent contact” with the social media site.

Separately, CNN reported that Musk had ordered staff at xAI, his AI business, to ease restrictions on Grok.

Additionally, Louise Haigh, the former transport secretary, under Sir Keir, urged the Government and the Labour Party to delete its X accounts.

She said: “The enablement, of not encouragement, of child sexual abuse mean it is unconscionable to use the site for another minute.”

Meanwhile, the images generated on X have also fueled anger in the US. Ted Cruz, a Republican senator called the AI pictures “unacceptable” and a violation of a US law prohibiting AI revenge porn.

Musk said this week: “Anyone using Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content.”

Nonetheless, if X fails to prevent another surge of harmful AI content within the month, legal experts warn that Ofcom may make its first ever application to the High Court to restrict the platform’s access in the UK.