JD Vance backs UK over ‘unacceptable’ sexualised AI images on X

David Lammy said after a meeting with the vice president that J.D. Vance thought the sexualized manipulation of images of women and children by the Grok AI chatbot was “completely unacceptable.”

Elon Musk, owner of xAI, the company that developed Grok, and owner of social media platform

Donald Trump’s allies have also criticized Sir Keir Starmer’s Government after ministers signaled support for regulator Ofcom to take whatever action is necessary against X.

Ofcom said it was in contact with X and xAI over Grok’s sexualised images, including of children, and was conducting an “expedited assessment” of the companies’ response.

But Deputy Prime Minister Mr Lammy said Mr Vance was sympathetic to the UK’s position on the issue.

Mr Lammy, who met Mr Vance in the US earlier this week. Guard He brought up the issue of Grok and brought up the “horrible, horrifying situation where this new technology allows deepfakes and manipulation of images of women and children, which is absolutely disgusting.”

“He agreed with me that this was completely unacceptable,” Mr Lammy said.

“I think he understood the seriousness of how images of women and children could be manipulated in this way, and he understood how despicable and unacceptable it was, and I sympathized with him.”

The tech mogul claimed the Government “wants any excuse for censorship” and “just wants to suppress freedom of expression”.

Responding to a chart showing arrest figures for online posts, with the UK at the top, Mr Musk said: “Why is the UK Government so fascist?”

Criticisms of X have focused on Grok’s production of child abuse images and manipulation of photos of real women and girls to remove their clothing.

Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said she would support the regulator if Ofcom decides to effectively block X if it does not comply with UK law, saying: “The sexual manipulation of women and children is despicable and disgusting.”

He added: “I would like to remind XAI that the Online Safety Act includes the power to block access to services in the UK if they refuse to comply with UK law. If Ofcom decides to use these powers, they will have our full support.”

Republican Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna has threatened to introduce legislation that would impose sanctions on both Sir Keir Starmer and the UK if X is blocked in the country.

And Sarah Rogers, the US State Department’s undersecretary of state for public diplomacy, published a series of messages on X criticizing the UK.

On Friday, X appeared to have changed Grok’s settings; The chatbot told users that only paid subscribers could ask it to change images.

However, reports suggested that this only applied to those who made requests in response to other posts, and other ways to edit or create images remained open, including a separate Grok website.

Ms Kendall said it was “absolutely unacceptable for Grok to allow this if you are prepared to pay the price”, adding that an update on Ofcom’s next steps was expected “within days, not weeks”.

Ofcom has the power to fine businesses up to £18 million or 10% of global revenue and take criminal action under the Online Safety Act.

It can also order payment providers, advertisers, and internet service providers to stop working with a site, effectively banning it, but this requires approval from the courts.

Ms Kendall also highlighted plans to ban nudity practices under the Crime and Policing Bill passed by Parliament, and said powers to criminalize the creation of intimate images without consent would come into force in the coming weeks.

The UK Government’s criticism of X was supported by Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese.

Speaking in Canberra, he said: “The use of generative AI to exploit or sexualize people without their consent is abhorrent.”