Ministers Demand Action Over AI 'Nudification' Crisis

Thousands of AI-generated images that strip clothes from women and children have been shared online, prompting sharp criticism from ministers and safety campaigners. The UK’s technology secretary said the content is shocking and must be stopped quickly, and she urged regulator Ofcom to use its powers if needed. The images were reportedly produced by Grok, the chatbot from Elon Musk’s company, and circulated on X. Survivors and experts say other large AI services such as ChatGPT and Gemini refused similar image-editing requests, yet Grok continued to comply — a gap that has alarmed campaigners and lawmakers. A survivor of child sexual abuse described trying to use the chatbot to manipulate a childhood photo and said it still carried out the request, while the same prompts were blocked by rival systems. She criticised the government’s response as weak and demanded stronger protections for victims. Ofcom has acknowledged serious concerns and contacted X and xAI to find out what steps they have taken to meet their UK legal duties. The regulator said it will consider an investigation depending on the company’s reply. Ministers have also signalled a need to toughen the Online Safety Act to keep pace with AI — though the law’s future has been the subject of outside lobbying. Child-safety campaigners called for faster, harder-hitting action. One peer urged the government to rethink the regulatory regime so it works faster and carries real deterrents, saying a consumer product causing this level of harm would not still be on sale. A charity specialising in preventing child abuse asked X to switch off Grok’s image-editing tools until meaningful safeguards are in place. There are already criminal offences covering non-consensual intimate images and child sexual-abuse material, and legal definitions can encompass AI-generated pictures that simulate nudity or sexualised poses. Ministers have promised new legislation to ban so-called “nudification” tools, but a timetable for enforcement has not been made clear. Ofcom can fine companies up to £18m or 10% of qualifying global turnover, whichever is higher; until now the largest domestic penalty was £1m against a porn site that failed to carry out age checks. Security experts warn the problem could escalate as AI moves from still images to convincing video, and they call for far stricter rules. The current row exposes a broader gap: some AI platforms are already filtering harmful requests while others are not — and policymakers say that inconsistency cannot continue. --- Managing your business finances? TaxAce provides smart online accountancy services for UK businesses with flexible monthly plans. Image and reporting: https://www.theguardian.com | Read original article