US Vice President JD Vance told UK Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy that AI-generated sexual images on X are „entirely unacceptable.“ The two officials met in Washington on Thursday to discuss concerns about X’s Grok chatbot creating manipulated images of women and children.
Meeting Details and Vance’s Position
According to The Guardian, Lammy said Vance expressed concern about how technology fuels „hyper-pornographied slop“ online. The vice president is typically known as an AI enthusiast.
Lammy found Vance „sympathetic“ to the UK’s position on the problem. „He agreed with me that it was entirely unacceptable,“ Lammy said on Friday.
The two men stayed in touch after their meeting. Vance confirmed he saw that X announced changes to Grok’s settings on Friday morning.
Platform Changes and Ongoing Concerns
X appeared to change Grok’s settings on Friday. The chatbot now tells users that only paid subscribers can ask it to manipulate images. However, reports suggest this only applies to requests made in reply to other posts. Other ways of editing images remain open, including on a separate Grok website.
UK Government Response and International Tensions
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned that X could face a ban in Britain after „unlawful“ and „disgusting“ images were generated. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said she would back media regulator Ofcom if it decided to ban X for failing to comply with UK laws.
The controversy sparked tensions across the Atlantic. X owner Elon Musk wrote on Friday that the UK government „want any excuse for censorship.“ He described the British government as „fascist.“
US Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna, a Trump supporter, called for sanctions against the UK if it bans X. Musk shared her post threatening action against Starmer and Britain.
Ofcom confirmed it would accelerate an investigation into X. „Sexually manipulating images of women and children is despicable and abhorrent,“ Kendall said.
Lammy and Vance also discussed Ukraine, Venezuela, and tensions over Greenland during their meeting. The two men developed a friendship after Vance and his family stayed with Lammy during a holiday last summer.
