Simon Harris: Laws can be changed to crack down on creation of fake sexual images 

Grok is designed to perform a multitude of functions, such as answering questions, analysing visual information from cameras, summarising convoluted documents, and generating imagery. Picture: Gabby Jones/Bloomberg

Irish laws will be changed "if required" to crack down on the creation and sharing of fake nude or sexual images created by Elon Musk's X artificial intelligence chatbot Grok, the Tánaiste has said, as he called for a garda investigation into the practice.

Communications minister Patrick O’Donovan is now engaging with his department officials, the attorney general, and media regulator Coimisiún na Meán to discuss the new trend, which Simon Harris branded “disgusting”.

Grok is designed to perform a multitude of functions, such as answering questions, analysing visual information from cameras, summarising convoluted documents, and generating imagery.

X users have been able to avail of a new tool called “edit image” on Grok since late last month.

Users are allowed to request modifications to images, with some using it to remove clothing from real people. Concern has been raised about the use of the tool in the generation of sexual abuse material, particularly relating to children.

Mr Harris called for the gardaí to investigate all instances where fake images created by Grok are shared on X.

“It is illegal and is a crime in this country. The sharing of nonconsensual intimate images is illegal,” the Tánaiste said. “The generation of child sex abuse material is illegal as well.

In the first instance, I would encourage anybody who has experienced this illegal and criminal activity to report it to An Garda Síochána. I would expect An Garda Síochána to treat this in the same way they treat any other crime. This is absolutely illegal.

Mr Harris said that “more needs to be done at a European level” and that the social media platforms are “no longer self-policing”.

However, when it was put to Mr Harris that while the sharing of sexual images is illegal, not the creation, he contended that additional legislation could be required.

He continued: “At a time when AI is moving so quickly, it's absolutely right, prudent, and necessary that governments and the European Commission would continue to make sure that their legal framework is robust.

If there is a need to make any further changes to our legal framework, that will be forthcoming. There are also laws of principle around consent as well, and how it interacts with our consent rules.

Mr Harris stated that people were using Grok in a “pretty disgusting way” and it “raises further questions in terms of somebody who's using AI on an online platform to potentially produce child sex abuse material, or indeed to abuse and harass women”.

When asked if it would stop him from posting on X, the Tánaiste said that he would “have to more broadly reflect on that”, as he stated that all companies must comply with the law.

Public expenditure minister Jack Chambers, meanwhile, branded the new trend as “shocking”, and said that there is a “clear regulatory framework now around EU digital services” and “there's a need for enforcement across the major entities”.