Elon Musk’s Grok Generated 3 Million Sexualized Images, UK Regulator Ofcom Steps In

The U.K.’s online safety regime shifted after Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok generated an estimated 3 million sexualized images over 11 days between Dec. 29 and Jan. 8, including 23,000 that appeared to depict children, according to researchers at the Center for Countering Digital Hate.

POLITICO.eu says Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the situation “disgusting” and said the U.K.’s online safety regulator Ofcom had his full backing to intervene, while Musk reposted a deepfake of the prime minister in a bikini.

POLITICO.eu

POLITICO.eu reports that the Grok drama helped set off a chain of events in which the U.K. government hand itself new power over online safety legislation, with the possibility that British kids could be kicked off social media altogether.

It also says the government had previously signaled it didn’t intend to follow Australia’s lead in banning social media for children, with a spokesperson for No.10 Downing Street saying in December there were no plans to implement a ban and “it’s important we protect children while letting them benefit safely from the digital world, without cutting off essential services or isolating the most vulnerable.”

In a separate political fight, the Guardian reports that Elon Musk’s intervention on behalf of a far-right offshoot of Reform UK is one of several signs that a divided right wing could deliver the Makerfield seat to Manchester mayor Andy Burnham in a byelection on 18 June.

The Guardian says Restore Britain is fielding Rebecca Shepherd, a 53-year-old local businesswoman, and that a Survation poll of 369 respondents in Greater Manchester put Restore Britain in third on 7%, Reform second on 40% and Labour on 43%.

The Guardian

Nigel Farage told the Telegraph that Musk’s support would “delighted” Burnham, warning that “Elon Musk has decided he will try to split the right of British politics as best he can.”

Raheem Kassam, described by the Guardian as a former chief adviser to Nigel Farage and now based in Washington DC, told the Guardian that Restore is a “spite party from all angles” and rubbished Musk’s endorsement, saying: “After Elon failed with Doge and then his aborted ‘America party’ idea, he has pivoted to the UK because Nigel refused to cave to his demands after they met.”

The National reports that Reform UK leader Nigel Farage criticised Elon Musk over his support for far-right party Restore Britain, warning the U.S. tech billionaire could “split the right” in next month’s Makerfield by-election.

“Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has criticised Elon Musk over his support for far-right party Restore Britain, warning that the US tech billionaire could “split the right” in next month's Makerfield by-election”

The National

The National says Musk published posts in support of Restore Britain on his X platform on Sunday, and that the by-election will see Labour’s Andy Burnham, Mayor of Manchester, contest a seat so he can return to Westminster and challenge Prime Minister Keir Starmer for the leadership of the party, and the UK.

It adds that a Survation study in Makerfield put Burnham on 43 per cent, with Reform candidate Robert Kenyon on 40 per cent and Ms Shepherd on 7 per cent, while noting the sample size of only 504 respondents.

The National also reports that Restore Britain’s leader Rupert Lowe responded to Farage by saying that “millions of Brits” are with the party, and that on Sunday Musk reposted a message from Mr Lowe with the comment "Restore Britain".