"The damage these screens are doing is incredible"...Meath reps voice concerns over AI image generator

Meath public representatives have added their voices to the chorus of concern and anger at Elon Musk's social media platform X (formerly Twitter) and it's in-platform use of AI tool Grok which has continued to allow the generation of sexualised images of minors and adults alike.

MEP Nina Carberry called on the European Commission to suspend Grok across the EU if the platform continues to host “horrific” AI-generated sexualised images of adults and children last Wednesday 14th January.

MEP Carberry said: “We’ve heard plenty of expressions of concern and multiple warnings from the European Commission and from Coimisiún na Meán in recent days, but what we need now is decisive action.

“Under Article 70 of the Digital Services Act, Europe can suspend platforms like Grok when they breach EU law," she stated.

“We take cars off the road when they fail the NCT. If someone is caught drunk driving, they are disqualified. We should treat online platforms the same way when they fail to remove child sexual abuse material.”

Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the Minister for Defence Helen McEntee TD commented on the issue: “We in Government and the EU must explore all options in terms of our response to social media companies. We need to be stronger in pushing back and in not allowing harmful and potentially devastating technology to take hold.

When I was Minister for Justice, I introduced Coco’s Law to make clear that online abuse and harassment will not be tolerated and there must be accountability.”

On Thursday 15th January, the issue and growing concern surrounding Grok AI was addressed during a debate at Dáil Éireann, with Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Deputy Neale Richmond raising the concerns in relation to “the abuse of AI capabilities, more specifically Grok’s ability to ‘nudify’ individuals without their consent”.

Deputy Richmond continued: “The sharing of non-consensual intimate images is illegal and the generation of child sexual abuse material is illegal. Coimisiún na Meán, as Ireland's new online safety and media regulator, is at the heart of Ireland’s online safety framework, including the regulation of social media.

Under the online safety framework, there is an obligation on platforms to act on reports of illegal content, so the public can report illegal content to the online platform, which must react on that report, and to Coimisiún na Meán.”

Deputy Darren O’Rourke contributed by saying that: “The Garda confirmation yesterday of 200 active investigations into child sexual abuse material generated by the Grok AI chatbot is not just alarming; it is a damning indictment of the despicable conduct of X and its owner. This is a platform and leadership that has shown a blatant disregard for basic decency and the safety of our children, treating both Irish and EU regulations with contempt.

The very ability of this tool to create such vile images represents a profound failure of corporate ethics and a direct assault on the most vulnerable in our society. This case exposes a toxic culture emanating from the very top of X, where the pursuit of profit and a warped sense of free speech are placed above human dignity and the law. When the company's CEO openly ridicules legitimate concerns and regulatory efforts, it fosters an environment where abuse is facilitated.

Therefore, this scandal must be the catalyst for immediate and forceful action. Legislation alone is meaningless without the power and will to apply it. Coimisiún na Meán must be empowered and resourced to act decisively.”

Speaking on both harmful AI-generated images and the access minors have to pornographic images online, Deputy Peadar Tóibín said: “Aontú is a long-term critic of AI and its gross under-regulation in this country. We were the first party to call for an Oireachtas committee on AI.

We believe there should be far stricter democratic oversight of AI. There is little regulation if we are honest and that is because a lot of governments are afraid to stand up to the oligarchs who own the technology.

In many ways, AI, like nuclear power, can be used for good but for sure it can be used for serious damage. However, imagine the damage nuclear power would cause if it was not regulated properly.

We, as a party, have drafted Bills previously to ban the provision of hardcore pornographic material to children. We regularly provide evidence to this Dáil of the damage of that material to young minds. Hardcore pornography distorts the minds of children, it leads to horrific violence against women and it leads to rape and murder. All we received from the Government is shrugs and measured tones in response.

There is a subsidiary of Pornhub that operates in Dublin as part of the Government's foreign direct investment policy. It pays corporation tax to the State. Pornhub provides hardcore pornographic material to children without checking their age.

There is a US lawsuit against Pornhub alleging the distribution of child pornography yet, as far as I can see from this Government, it is ignored. Aontú is currently drafting a Bill that will see smart phones for children under the age of 16 banned. The damage these screens are doing to our children is incredible.

Regarding the nudification tools, there are nudification tools provided by Grok, Merlio AI, SoulGen, Nudify-Online, Undress AI, DreamGF, deepnude-cc, Promptchan.ai and Candy AI. They all should be criminally banned.”

As of Wednesday 14th January, no case had been taken against any social media company, according to a senior member of An Garda Síochána’s National Cyber Crime Bureau.

X released a statement Thursday 15th January announcing that the nudifying ability of the artificial intelligence bot will be blocked in countries where it would be breaking the law.

X said: “We have implemented technological measures to prevent the Grok account from allowing the editing of images of real people in revealing clothing.”

AI Minister Niamh Smyth confirmed that this will include Ireland and that she welcomes the "corrective action" taken by X.

A statement has been made following AI Minister Niamh Smyth's meeting with X executives to discuss ongoing concerns regarding non-consensual intimate imagery and child sexual abuse material being generated and posted through Grok on X.

Speaking following the meeting, Minister Smyth said: "I welcomed the opportunity to meet with X to express directly my serious dismay at what has been facilitated on their platform. I emphasised that the sophistication of safeguards must match the sophistication of the technology. I outlined the legal protections in place in Ireland, including Coco's Law, the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act, and the Online Safety Code.

X informed me that corrective actions have now been implemented and that Grok, as integrated on the X platform, has been disabled from removing or reducing clothing on individuals worldwide. I welcomed these corrective actions but also sought assurance that this capability will not be reintroduced. I made clear that such activity will not be tolerated. Concerns remain regarding Grok as a standalone app, and this is something Government will examine further.

I will continue to monitor the situation closely and am scheduled to hold an in-person follow-up meeting with X in the near future to ensure adequate and enduring protections remain in place. I look forward to discussing this matter further with my colleagues from across Government on Monday."