Grok images have broken the law, says AI minister

Minister for AI Niamh Smyth said images generated by X's Grok that depict children breach Irish law, and she has sought a meeting with the company but has not yet received a reply.

Niamh Smyth, Ireland's Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, said images produced by X's AI tool Grok have broken Irish law. Her comments followed reports that some users were using the tool to generate sexual images that included children. Ms Smyth said distributing child abuse images is a criminal offence whether the images are real or computer-generated. She has written to X requesting a meeting and said she has not received a response. Key facts: - Minister Niamh Smyth stated that, under Irish law, it is a criminal offence to distribute child abuse images, including computer-generated images. - Reports say some users of Grok were generating sexual images of people, including children. - Ms Smyth has written to X seeking a meeting and has not yet had a reply from the company. - She said enforcement is needed and is awaiting advice from the Attorney General's office; she also referenced the EU Digital Services Act and engagement by regulators. - Other ministers commented that the government will not shirk its responsibilities and that whether gardai are investigating depends on whether complaints are made. Summary: Ms Smyth described the creation and distribution of these images as a breach of Irish law and said consequences would follow if X is found to be breaking the law. She has asked for a meeting with the company and is awaiting legal advice, while national and EU regulators are reported to be engaging on the issue.