Musk hits out at ‘fascist’ UK as row over X and its Grok AI escalates

Elon Musk has accused Sir Keir Starmer’s Government of being “fascist” after ministers stepped up threats to ban social media site X over AI-generated sexualised images.

The tech tycoon claimed critics of his X platform “want any excuse for censorship” as he appeared defiant despite the outcry over the use of the Grok artificial intelligence feature to create fake images of people, including children.

Responding to a chart showing arrest figures for online posts with the UK at the top, Mr Musk said: “Why is the UK government so fascist?”

Earlier, pointing to claims other AI programs created non-sexualised images of women in bikinis, he posted on X: “They want any excuse for censorship.”

Criticism of X has focused on Grok’s production of images of child abuse and manipulation of photographs of real women and girls to remove their clothes.

Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said she would back regulator Ofcom if it decided to effectively block X if it failed to comply with UK laws, saying: “Sexually manipulating images of women and children is despicable and abhorrent.”

Ofcom said it was undertaking an “expedited assessment” after X and Grok’s creator xAI responded to contact from the regulator.

But Mr Musk responded by sharing a post from US legislator Anna Paulina Luna threatening to sanction both Sir Keir Starmer and the UK if X was blocked in the country.

On Friday, X appeared to have changed Grok’s settings, with the chatbot telling users that only paid subscribers could ask it to manipulate images.

However, reports suggested this only applied to those making requests in reply to other posts, and other ways of editing or creating images, including on a separate Grok website, remained open.

Ms Kendall said it was “totally unacceptable for Grok to allow this if you’re willing to pay for it”, and added she expected an update on Ofcom’s next steps “in days, not weeks”.

Ofcom has powers under the Online Safety Act to fine businesses up to £18 million or 10% of global revenue, as well as to take criminal action.

It can also order payment providers, advertisers and internet service providers to stop working with a site, effectively banning them, though this would require agreement from the courts.

Ms Kendall also pointed to plans to ban nudification apps as part of the Crime and Policing Bill going through Parliament and said powers to criminalise the creation of intimate images without consent would come into force in the coming weeks.

The UK Government’s criticism of X was backed by Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese.

Speaking in Canberra, he said: “The use of generative artificial intelligence to exploit or sexualise people without their consent, is abhorrent.”