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Dáil
‹ An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business

Grok AI illegal imagery

Summary

Conor Sheehan said Grok-generated sexualised and child abuse imagery on X was disturbing and asked the Taoiseach to return quickly with an update. The Taoiseach said the material appeared plainly illegal and promised to examine all legal tools and legislate further if needed.

For a number of weeks, it was not possible to log on to the X app without being confronted by extremely disturbing sexualised imagery. Grok has created thousands of these images with a significant number being child sexual abuse imagery. This is not an online phenomenon. Online abuse is a gateway to offline abuse and exploitation. X's European headquarters are less than a kilometre from this Chamber and the fact that company benefits from our favourable taxation arrangements for tech companies means the State has skin the game and could be inadvertently somehow complicit in this abusive, illegal action. It is clear from the creation of Grok that X cannot regulate itself. We need to ensure there is a Garda investigation into what has happened. Coimisiún na Meán must be given adequate powers and resources to regulate that.

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Verona Murphy An Ceann Comhairle Independent

Thank you, Deputy.

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Will the Taoiseach commit to come back as soon as possible on what he said about convening a Cabinet meeting?

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Many people are gravely concerned about what is happening with Grok and the thousands of images, that are illegal on the face of it, without question, particularly in respect of minors, women and citizens more generally. The State is not complicit in this but we will robustly examine all of this to ensure the full legal instruments available to the State will apply here. If we need more laws, we will enact further laws.

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