Superintendent urges victims of online 'nudification' to contact Gardaí
Grok, embedded in the social media platform X, has allowed users to create thousands of sexualised images of women and children, by 'undressing people' from real photographs. Picture: Nicholas.T.Ansell
The head of an elite garda unit specialising in cyber crime has criticised the lack of effective age verification on online sites where sexualised images can be accessed, as gardaí appeal for victims of the recent 'nudification' trend to come forward.
Investigators have insisted that the sexualisation of unsuspecting people on the social media platform X is being treated "with the utmost seriousness”.
An AI tool, known as Grok, embedded in the social media platform X, has allowed users to create thousands of sexualised images of women and children, by "undressing people" from real photographs.
Detective Chief Superintendent Barry Walsh of the Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau (GNCCB) will tell the Oireachtas today that it is “difficult to understand” why age verification is not yet a standard feature of all online sites where pornography, or sexualised images, can be accessed.
He will say “the reality is” that all AI models — and not just Grok — could be trained to create the same content.
“I sincerely hope that the robust response to recent events from across society will instigate a concerted trend by all AI service providers to ensure that their models can not be manipulated to create content that is both unlawful and hugely harmful to those individuals who are impacted,” his address to the Oireachtas will state.
“I would encourage any individual who may be a victim of these crimes to make contact with your local garda station, where you will be provided with access to the wide range of specialist help and support that is available."
Chief Supt Walsh added: “As an over-arching observation, it is difficult to understand why robust age verification is not yet a standard operating procedure in respect of any platform where pornography or other child-inappropriate content is either readily accessible or where there is a realistic danger that it could be accessed."
Yesterday, media minister Patrick O’Donovan refused to lay blame for the Grok controversy at the door of X, saying that Coimisiún na Meán, gardaí, and the public all have roles to play.
“It is a matter for Coimisiún na Meán to investigate all and every complaint with regard to any platform, as it is also a role for the European Commission."
He denied he was letting the social media company off the hook, adding: “X is regulated by and governed by Coimisiún na Meán and An Garda Síochána."
Labour Senator Laura Harmon had earlier called on the Government to consider banning X from Ireland.
“If there was a factory created down the road this morning that was producing these kind of images, it would be shut down immediately," she said.
In the Dáil, the Government was accused of a "muted" and "confusing" response to the controversy.
Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns said the Government and regulator had failed to take on the social media companies.
"Last year, edit features were added to Grok to make it easy to undress people in photographs," she said. "Incredibly, no thought was apparently given to how this tool could be used and weaponised against women.
"The company didn't even bother to include age restrictions to prevent child sexual abuse imagery being generated."
She added: "What is the Government's position, and why are we not seeing criminal investigations into the production and distribution of these child abuse images?
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the Attorney General is providing advice, and he is convening a meeting of relevant Government ministers to respond to the matter.
"This is a fast-moving area, we want to make absolutely sure that all angles are covered, and that we deal with this robustly," he said.
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