New Delhi: The UK government is set to criminalise the creation of non-consensual AI-generated intimate images this week, following a surge in deepfake abuse linked to Elon Musk’s X and its AI chatbot, Grok. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall told Parliament that these images are being used to harass and violate people, calling them “weapons of abuse” that are already devastating lives.
The move comes after Grok was used to create and share sexualised images of women and children without consent. UK regulator Ofcom has now opened a formal investigation into whether X failed to protect users from illegal content under the Online Safety Act, raising pressure on the platform to act quickly.
New crime targets AI-generated abuse
According to Kendall, the law against creating or soliciting non-consent intimate images, which was enacted last year, will formally take effect this week. It will also be a priority offence in the Online Safety Act by the government, and online platforms will have to take down such information more quickly.
This implies that any person who develops, disseminates, or even requests artificially intelligent-produced sexual images of another individual without their consent may be criminally charged.
Nudification apps and deepfake tools in focus
The government will also criminalise “nudification apps” that strip clothes from images using AI. Kendall said these tools fuel abuse and must be tackled at the source, not just after harm has already been done.
She warned that AI-generated images showing people being restrained, injured, or sexualised are being used to intimidate and humiliate victims, especially women and girls.
Ofcom probes Elon Musk’s X over Grok
Ofcom has launched a formal investigation into X after reports that Grok was used to generate sexualised images, including of children. The regulator is examining whether X carried out proper risk checks before releasing its advanced image tools and whether it did enough to stop illegal content from spreading.
The watchdog had earlier issued an urgent notice to X, demanding answers on how it plans to protect UK users.
Downing Street has said it is keeping its presence on X under review. The Prime Minister’s office warned that all options remain on the table if the platform fails to protect children and vulnerable users.
In response, Elon Musk accused the UK government of attacking free speech. But ministers insist the issue is about protecting people from digital abuse, not silencing debate.