Albanese calls Grok images 'abhorrent' but Australian politicians remain on X

In Australia, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described X’s AI chatbot Grok generating sexualised images of women and children as “abhorrent”, but he — and most other politicians in Australia — have not stopped using the platform. Albanese said Australians deserved better and that the online safety regulator would look into the matter; his X account then posted a video of the same press conference and replies attempted to prompt Grok to create an image of the prime minister in a bikini.

Grok was disabled for image generation for non-paying users after Guardian research found it had been used to create pornographic videos of women without their consent and images of women being shot and killed. Searches on X turn up photos of Australian politicians created using Grok, including images of politicians in bikinis or burkinis.

Regulators worldwide, including in Australia, are investigating Grok, with fines and potential blocking being discussed and some countries reportedly blocking access. In Australia the eSafety commissioner has sent a “please explain” letter that could ultimately lead to fines being sought from the federal court, although X’s long history of challenging regulatory action could make that process take years.

The office of the eSafety commissioner and the commissioner herself stopped posting on X in August last year.

Key Topics

Politics, Grok, Australia, Anthony Albanese, X, Esafety Commissioner