The UK is looking to expedite laws that would restrict the creation of sexualised deep fake images following the torrent of inappropriate images being produced using X’s Grok AI.

Liz Kendall, the technology secretary, told the House of Commons that she will be introduces a new offence this week which will make it illegal for people to request the creation of or create themselves non-consensual intimate images, which she said will be a “priority offence in the Online Safety Act too.”

She went on to describe the material produced by Grok AI and circulating on X as “vile”, which includes the images of women and even children in revealing clothing and in sexualised positions. Images of women in sexualised positions with signs of harm are also being produced and circulated using Grok AI and on X.

“It is not just an affront to a decent society, it is illegal,” Kendall said.

“Lives can and have been devastated by this content, which is designed to harass, torment, and violate people’s dignity. They are not harmless images – they are weapons of abuse, disproportionately aimed at women and girls and they are illegal.”

Ofcom has launched a formal investigation into X, the minister confirmed, which could result in the firm being fined for millions. Ofcom could even apply for a court order that would block UK access to the site.

According to Kendall, the government is looking to criminalise firms that create tools that enable the generation of non-consensual sexual images while it encourages companies to create better safeguards to prevent their tools from being used for malicious activities.

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The UK government is also reviewing its own relationship with X, Kendall told the House, with ongoing discussions on if the government should continue to use the platform for communications.

Calls continue to rally for a boycott of X, which is nothing new to the firm, which faced an exodus of users when Elon Musk took over in 2022, followed by other mass exits following various contentious decisions made by the firm and its controversial owner.