Prime Minister Keir Starmer has issued a stark warning to Elon Musk, signalling that the UK government is prepared to intervene decisively over X’s controversial AI chatbot, Grok.
His comments came after media regulator Ofcom confirmed it has launched an investigation into the tool, following reports that Grok allowed users to generate sexualised images of women and children.
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The development has intensified scrutiny on the social media platform’s safeguards and accountability.
Culture secretary Liz Kendall told MPs on Monday that the government is prepared to legislate to outlaw so-called “nudification” tools, which use artificial intelligence to create explicit imagery without consent.
Keir Starmer: Government ‘Won’t Stand For It’
Addressing Labour MPs and peers in Parliament, Starmer said X’s response to the controversy fell short of what was required, despite the platform announcing last week that Grok would only be accessible to paying subscribers.
He said, “The actions of Grok and X are absolutely disgusting and shameful. Protecting their abusive users, rather than the women and children who are being abused, shows a total distortion of priorities.”
Starmer stressed that the government’s approach would be rooted in its values, adding: “So let me be crystal clear, we won’t stand for it, because no matter how unstable or complex the world becomes, this government will be guided by its values. We’ll stand up for the vulnerable against the powerful.”
Threat of Rapid Regulation — and Even a Ban
The prime minister warned that direct intervention would follow if X fails to bring Grok under control. “If X cannot control Grok, we will — and we’ll do it fast because if you profit from harm and abuse, you lose the right to self regulate,” he said.
Ministers have also declined to rule out banning X in the UK entirely should the company fail to address the concerns raised by Ofcom’s investigation.
Musk, who has frequently clashed with Starmer since he became prime minister, has accused the UK government of attempting to “suppress free speech,” framing the growing regulatory pressure as an attack on online expression.
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