LAST UPDATE | 13 Jan

GRÁINNE SEOIGE GREW emotional this evening as she recounted her personal experience with so-called “nudification” technology amidst the fallout of X’s AI tool Grok being used to create non-consensual sexual images of people.

Earlier today, the former broadcaster called for “urgent action on AI apps and messaging platforms enabling sexual abuse imagery”, in the latest pushback against the companies behind the technology.

Grok has caused alarm for many politicians globally, used to create thousands of non-consensual sexual images of people, including children, in the last week.

Seoige – who stood for Fianna Fáil in the 2024 General Election – warned that without urgent reform, the problem will continue to escalate.

Speaking on RTÉ’s Prime Time this evening, Seoige spoke about her experience during her election campaign in 2024 when a fake sexual image of her was circulated on WhatsApp.

The existence of the image was brought to her attention by people she knew, and gardaí were alerted.

“It was the most shocking thing that’s ever happened to me in my life, and it took a long time to really process it,” Seoige told RTÉ’s Sarah McInerney.

“This happened in the middle of the election campaign, so not only was it sexual image abuse, it was election interference, and it happened at a time when I was in the middle of meeting many, many people on a daily basis, in the middle of canvassing.”

She said she had to “repress” the trauma of the experience and push through with her campaign, but said it seriously affected her and her campaign.

“I think people who dismiss these things as a bit of craic and something not to be taken too seriously are the people whose bodies will never be used as commodities, or the people whose bodies will never be abused and violated in this way – and therefore they never have to understand it.”

Seoige spoke about her fears for her four-year-old goddaughter and grew emotional as she said it was a very real possibility that she, or any other young child, would be the target of similar abuse.

“My heart goes out to any woman and the families of any women who are dealing with this right now, and I know you’re out there;  I see you, I hear you, and I’m here to say I want to speak on your behalf, because I have a voice and I can use it.”

Ultimately, gardaí were not able to pursue a line of investigation into the offence against Seoige as those circulating the image refused to divulge any further information, and the case was dropped.

Earlier today, Seoige confirmed she has formally written to the Chair of the Oireachtas Committee on Media, the Minister for Justice, and the Minister for Media, requesting that the Committee undertake an urgent review of the legislative gaps exposed by AI-enabled sexual abuse imagery.

“AI technology is moving faster than our laws, and victims are paying the price,” the broadcaster-turned-businesswoman said.

“If we do not act now – decisively and with victims at the centre – this will keep happening, to women, to children, and to anyone unlucky enough to be targeted.”

Seoige also raised concerns over the “unchecked spread of material” through messaging services such as WhatsApp, owned by Meta, which she said have exposed serious failures in existing law, regulation and platform responsibility.

She has also written directly to the Garda Commissioner and to Coimisiún na Meán, seeking clarity on their respective powers, responsibilities and current interventions in cases involving AI-generated sexual abuse imagery and its dissemination through encrypted messaging platforms.

She is calling for the Committee to examine new legislation as a matter of urgency and to hold technology companies directly to account.

“We need an emergency review that is practical, focused and victim-centred. The Oireachtas Committee on Media is the right forum to do this, but it must move quickly.”

‘Enforcement issue’

Fianna Fáil TD Niamh Smyth said the lack of penalisation for the circulation of fake sexual imagery is “an enforcement issue”.

Speaking on Prime Time, the Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise said she has written to Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly to see what steps An Garda Síochána have taken to investigate the issue.

“It is a criminal offence to create imagery like that, to disseminate imagery like that, to share imagery like that. They are the three basis for what grok has done in terms of breaking the law. We have very strong and robust laws here in Ireland,” she said.

Smyth urged the public to inform authorities such as the Garda, Coimisiún na Meán and the Data Protection Commission about fake sexual imagery.

Smyth said that her personal view is that if X does not abide by the law, it should be banned.  She suggested a possible ban would be under discussion at a meeting between Micheál Martin, the Attorney General and cabinet members tomorrow.

She also said she has “no doubt” the Taoiseach will make an official decision on the continued use of X accounts for politicians “in the very near future”.

Minister says EU AI Act could allow regulation

Ireland’s Further and Higher Education Minister echoed some of Seoige’s concerns this morning, but cautioned that Grok is particularly challenging to tackle as it is not the “primary tool”, rather it is part of a “publication tool”.

However, James Lawless said that a business creating the type of images produced by the AI chatbot Grok had been “set up in someone’s basement” it would have been raided by the Gardai “the next day”.

“As legislators, we need to get on top of this very quickly,” Lawless told reporters ahead of a Cabinet meeting today.

Lawless also said the EU Artificial Intelligence Act, which is currently being introduced, would be an “opportunity” to help regulate the industry.

Lawless said legislation that can deal with “cases that aren’t even envisaged yet” is needed as “technology will always evolve”.

The response by the Irish government has been complicated by X having its European headquarters in Dublin, and the government has responded to the development with mixed messages.

At first, Media Minister Patrick O’Donovan said the blame lied with the users who request the creation of the images, not with the application itself.

O’Donovan has since deleted his X account.

Minister of State with responsibility for AI Niamh Smyth said last week that the Grok service should be suspended by the EU while an investigation takes place, while also outlining that the use of X by the government was inappropriate.

Speaking today, Lawless said that the world has struggled with the new developments.

“I don’t think Ireland is any better or worse than any other country in that regard,” he added.

Response by governments

Following the emergence of the new features, the governments of Malaysia and Indonesia have suspended access to Grok.

Yesterday, the UK’s media regulator opened an investigation into Elon Musk’s social media company X due to its AI chatbot Grok’s production of sexualised images of children.

X owner Elon Musk has rejected the criticism of the app, saying that those railing against it simply “want any excuse for censorship”, as he vowed to continue its use.

Additional reporting by Emma Hickey