UK to make creating AI non-consensual intimate images illegal

The UK will bring into force a law that will make creating sexual ‘deepfakes’ and non-consensual explicit images illegal following a wave of complaints about xAI’s Grok chatbot. This comes hours after Ofcom announced they would be investigating xAI over Grok’s ability to create sexualised imagery, including those of children.

It is currently illegal to share sexual deepfakes and other non-consensual AI-created sexual imagery, and the Data (Use and Access) Act also made it a criminal act to create or request such images. The Act was passed in June of last year, but has not been enforced until now.

Technology Secretary, Liz Kendall, said that law “will be brought into force this week” and that it would also be made a ‘priority offence’ under the Online Safety Act.

“The content which has circulated on X is vile. It's not just an affront to decent society, it is illegal,” she said. “Let me be crystal clear - under the Online Safety Act, sharing intimate images of people without their consent, or threatening to share them, including pictures of people in their underwear, is a criminal offence for individuals and for platforms”, she continued, “This means individuals are committing a criminal offence if they create or seek to create such content including on X, and anyone who does this should expect to face the full extent of the law.”

Speaking to Labour MPs, the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, said “If X cannot control Grok, we will,” adding that X could lose their “right to self regulate” and promising that the government would act quickly in response.

On Monday the communications watchdog, Ofcom, announced that they would be investigating Grok over “deeply concerning reports” that is was being used to create nude images of people and “sexualised images of children”.

If X are found to have broken the law, Ofcom have the powers to issue a fine of up to 10% of worldwide revenue, or £18 million, whichever is great. If X does not comply with the law, Ofcom can then seek a court order to block access to the site in the UK.

In response to earlier complaints about the platform, X posted a warning saying: “Anyone using Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content.” Questioning why X was being targeted and not other AI platforms, Elon Musk claimed that the UK government wanted “any excuse for censorship”.

Speaking to the Commons, Liz Kendall said that the “responsibilities do not just lie with individuals for their own behaviour” and “the platforms that host such material must be held accountable, including X”.

She went on to say that the government will build on measures in the Crime and Policing Bill to criminalise so-called ‘nudification’ apps. The Bill is currently in the Committee Stage of scrutiny in the House of Lords.

“This new criminal offence will make it illegal for companies to supply tools designed to create non-consensual intimate images, targeting the problem at its source,” the Technology Secretary said. “In addition to all of these actions, we expect technology companies to introduce the steps recommended by Ofcom's guidance on how to make platforms safer for women and girls without delay.”

She added, “If they do not, I am prepared to go further.”