{"id":110238,"date":"2026-01-13T01:18:04","date_gmt":"2026-01-13T01:18:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2026\/01\/13\/what-a-new-law-and-an-investigation-could-mean-for-grok-ai-deepfakes\/"},"modified":"2026-01-13T01:19:07","modified_gmt":"2026-01-13T01:19:07","slug":"what-a-new-law-and-an-investigation-could-mean-for-grok-ai-deepfakes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2026\/01\/13\/what-a-new-law-and-an-investigation-could-mean-for-grok-ai-deepfakes\/","title":{"rendered":"What a new law and an investigation could mean for Grok AI deepfakes"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Zoe Kleinman<\/span>Expertise editor<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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One in all these photographs is an actual photograph, whereas the opposite two have been digitally altered by Grok to alter what I am sporting. Are you able to inform which is actual?<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
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Here is me, on the finish of a pier in Dorset in the summertime.<\/p>\n

Two of those photographs had been generated utilizing the bogus intelligence software Grok, which is free to make use of and belongs to Elon Musk.<\/p>\n

It is fairly convincing. I’ve by no means worn the slightly fetching yellow ski go well with, or the pink and blue jacket – the center photograph is the unique – however I do not understand how I might show that if I wanted to, due to these footage.<\/p>\n

After all, Grok is beneath fireplace for undressing slightly than redressing ladies. And doing so with out their consent.<\/p>\n

It made footage of individuals in bikinis, or worse, when prompted by others. And shared the ends in public on the social community X. <\/p>\n

There may be additionally proof it has generated sexualised images of children<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Following days of concern and condemnation, the UK’s on-line regulator Ofcom has mentioned it’s urgently investigating whether Grok has broken British online safety laws<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The federal government desires Ofcom to get on with it – and quick.<\/p>\n

However Ofcom must be thorough and comply with its personal processes if it desires to keep away from criticism of attacking free speech, which has dogged the On-line Security Act from its earliest phases.<\/p>\n

Elon Musk has been uncharacteristically quiet on the topic in current days, which suggests even he realises how severe this all is. <\/p>\n

However he did fireplace off a submit accusing the British authorities of searching for “any excuse” for censorship.<\/p>\n

Not everybody agrees that on this event, the defence is appropriate.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“AI undressing individuals in photographs is not free speech – it is abuse,” says campaigner Ed Newton Rex.<\/p>\n

“When each photograph a girl posts of themselves on X instantly attracts public replies wherein they have been stripped all the way down to a bikini, one thing has gone very, very flawed.”<\/p>\n

With all this in thoughts, Ofcom’s investigation might take time, and a variety of back-and-forth \u2013 testing the endurance of each politicians and the general public.<\/p>\n

It is a main second not just for Britain’s Online Safety Act<\/a>, however the regulator itself. <\/p>\n

It may well’t afford to get this flawed.<\/p>\n

Ofcom has beforehand been accused of missing tooth. The Act, which was years within the making, solely got here absolutely into power final 12 months. <\/p>\n

It has to this point issued three comparatively small fines for non-compliance, none of which have been paid.<\/p>\n

The On-line Security Act would not particularly point out AI merchandise both. <\/p>\n

And whereas it’s at present unlawful to share intimate, non-consensual photographs, together with deepfakes, it’s not at present unlawful to ask an AI software to create them. <\/p>\n

That is about to alter. The federal government will this week carry into power a legislation which can make it unlawful to create these photographs.<\/p>\n

And the UK says it’s going to amend one other legislation – at present going by way of Parliament – which might make it unlawful for corporations to produce the instruments designed to make them, too.<\/p>\n

These guidelines have been round for some time, they don’t seem to be truly a part of the On-line Security Act however a totally completely different piece of laws known as the Knowledge (Use and Entry) Act.<\/p>\n

They’ve not been introduced into enforcement regardless of repeated bulletins from the federal government over many months that they had been incoming.<\/p>\n

Right this moment’s announcement reveals a authorities decided to quell criticisms that regulation strikes too slowly, by displaying it might probably act rapidly when it desires to.<\/p>\n

It is not simply Grok that will likely be affected. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

A political bombshell?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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The brand new legislation that will likely be enforced this week might show to be a headache for different house owners of AI instruments that are technically principally able to producing these photographs as properly.<\/p>\n

And there are already questions round how on earth it will likely be enforced – Grok solely got here beneath the highlight as a result of it was publishing its output on X.<\/p>\n

If a software is used privately by a person consumer, they discover a approach across the guardrails and the ensuing content material is just shared with those that need to see it, how will it come to gentle?<\/p>\n

If X is discovered to have damaged the legislation, Ofcom might subject it with a high-quality of as much as 10% of its worldwide income or \u00a318m, whichever is bigger. <\/p>\n

It might even search to dam Grok or X within the UK. However this may be a political bombshell.<\/p>\n

I sat on the AI Summit in Paris final 12 months and watched Vice President JD Vance thunder that the US administration was “getting drained” of international nations making an attempt to manage its tech corporations.<\/p>\n

His viewers, which included an enormous variety of world leaders, sat in stony silence.<\/p>\n

However the tech corporations have a variety of firepower contained in the White Home \u2013 and a number of other of them have additionally invested billions of {dollars} in AI infrastructure within the UK. <\/p>\n

Can the nation afford to fall out with them?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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