UK to Add AI Chatbots to Safety Laws After Grok Row
The UK government announced on Monday that it intends to include AI chatbots in its online safety laws, addressing a significant loophole highlighted by the controversial use of Elon Musk’s AI chatbot, Grok, to create sexualized deepfakes.
Responsibility for Chatbot Providers
With this new regulation, providers of chatbots will be held accountable for preventing their systems from generating illegal or harmful content. This marks a notable expansion of existing rules, which previously applied solely to content exchanged between users on social media platforms. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer emphasized that the government is committed to closing this legal loophole, stating, “Govt will move to shut a legal loophole and force all AI chatbot providers to abide by illegal content duties in the Online Safety Act or face the consequences of breaking the law.”
Details of the Online Safety Act
Implemented in July, the Online Safety Act mandates that platforms hosting potentially harmful content must enforce strict age verification measures. These measures can include technologies such as facial imagery or credit card checks. Furthermore, it is illegal for sites to produce non-consensual intimate images or materials related to child sexual abuse, including sexual deepfakes generated through AI.
Regulatory Oversight
In January, the UK’s media regulator, Ofcom, launched an investigation into the social media platform X, which hosts Grok, due to its failure to meet safety obligations. Ofcom has observed that not all AI chatbots are currently regulated, particularly those that allow users to interact solely with the chatbot without engaging with other users. “Tech moves on so fast that the legislation struggles to keep up, which is why, for AI bots… we need to take necessary measures,” stated a representative.
This move by the UK government signifies an important step toward ensuring that AI technologies are held to the same safety standards as other digital platforms, reinforcing the broader commitment to online safety and responsible technology use.
