LAST UPDATE | 21 hrs ago

MINISTER FOR ENTERPRISE Peter Burke, whose department has responsibility for artificial intelligence, today said he is “hugely concerned” by the recent developments on Elon Musk’s X. 

Since last week, X’s AI bot Grok has started flooding the social media platform with non-consensual sexual images of women, children and men.

Despite his concerns, Burke said he has no plans to join other politicians leaving the website.

• How is Grok creating sexualised images of women, and what should you do if you’re affected?

He took a similar stance to that of his party leader, Tánaiste Simon Harris, who said yesterday that he would have to “reflect” on whether he would continue to use the social media platform.

Speaking at a press conference this afternoon, Minister Burke said the Irish Government must take a “very strong and firm role” in response to the child sexual abuse material that is being generated on X and that “no matter what revenues come in through corporation tax, our future generations are the most important prized possession that we have”.

However, he said investigations by the EU and Ireland’s media regulator Comisiún na Meán need to be allowed to “run their course” before the Irish Government takes any action. 

Asked if he plans to meet with senior executives at X to discuss his concerns about the safety issues on the platform, the minister said not at this point.

Recent revelations about Grok have prompted Rape Crisis Ireland (RCI) to call for the government to ban AI-based functions that can produce deepfake sexual images.

Asked whether the Government will do this, Minister Burke said current laws are “pretty much robust at the moment”. 

“But I think we need to work to ensure that the law is being applied. That’s not anything too big to ask, for any company that’s operating in our country, that you go by the law, you adhere to safeguards, you protect children, you protect future generations,” Burke said. 

Asked if the Irish Government is “afraid to face down” Elon Musk over his proximity to US President Donald Trump, Burke said: “Absolutely not”. 

The Minister said the Irish government is “very firm in rule of law, very firm in protecting future generations, which are so important”.

“Our children, as I said, are our most prized people in our society that we have to protect and it is incumbent on Government to do that and to protect them and ensure that the current legislation, be it EU-based or Irish-based, is being adhered to appropriately,” he said.

On his own continued use of the platform, Burke said: 

“So like everyone, I think this is unacceptable, but investigations have to run their course first, and I think that’s the most appropriate forum for it to take place.”

Other views

Meanwhile, other politicians in Ireland have decided to step away from the platform over the latest scandal.

They join dozens of other elected representatives and public figures in Ireland who have already left the social media site since Elon Musk purchased it in 2022. 

Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon yesterday posted what he said was his final post on the platform “under its current ownership”. 

“I will not lend my voice to a company that has chosen profit and ideology over the basic safety of children,” the Dublin Central TD said. 

Likewise, Cork Green Party councillor Oliver Moran also said he was stepping away from the site today.

“I’ve had a Twitter account for nearly 20 years and I’ve been very active on the platform for 10 of those. That’s not easy to disentangle from, especially for a public representative, where there’s an obligation to engage with people across channels and where you will have established relationships.

“However, a point comes where you have to ask if what you’re seeing and what it’s enabling align with your values,” Moran said.

Media Minister Patrick O’Donovan is currently engaging with the Attorney General to explore if any further legislation is needed to safeguard people online with regard to artificial intelligence.

Aside from politicians, Women’s Aid, the national organisation which works to prevent and address domestic violence, is also leaving the platform.

In a statement, CEO Sarah Benson said she has watched the “increased levels of unchecked hate, misogyny, racism and anti-LGBTI+ content on” X with growing unease and concern, dubbing the situation surrounding Grok “a tipping point”. 

“This online violence against women and children – especially girls – has often devastating real life impacts and we no longer view it as appropriate to use such a platform to share our work,” Benson said. 

She called on governments and regulators in both Ireland and at EU level to “act swiftly and decisively to create effective accountability, legislation and regulation to ensure companies must have guardrails that protect truth, and prevent harm so that in the future any user can use X, and any online platform safely”.