UK ministers considering leaving X amid concern over AI tool images

UK ministers are considering leaving X as a result of the controversy over the platform’s AI tool, which has been allowing users to generate digitally altered pictures of people – including children – with their clothes removed.Anna Turley, the chair of the Labour party and a minister without portfolio in the Cabinet Office, said on Friday that conversations were happening within the government and Labour about their continued use of the social media platform, which is controlled by Elon Musk.The government has come under mounting pressure to leave X after the site was flooded with images including sexualised and unclothed pictures of children generated by its AI tool, Grok.Turley told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “X, first and foremost, has to get its act together and prevent this. It has the powers to do this, and we need to make sure there are firm consequences for that.She added: “It’s really, really important that we tackle this. Those conversations are ongoing across government. I think all of us in politics are evaluating our use of social media and how we do that, and I know that conversation is happening.”Asked if she would personally leave the site, Turley said: “I’ve thought about that a lot over the past few months.” Asked whether the Labour party would do so, she added: “Those conversations are taking place because it’s really important that we make sure that we’re in a safe space.”Anna Turley said she had thought ‘a lot’ about leaving X over the past few months. Photograph: Thomas Krych/Zuma Press Wire/ShutterstockOn Friday, X said it was limiting the use of Grok’s image creating tool to paid users only.The government has so far resisted calls to stop using the social media platform, focusing instead on the powers that the media regulator Ofcom has to take action against X under the Online Safety Act.Those powers include preventing the company having access to certain technology and funding, which could amount to a de facto ban in the UK.Keir Starmer, the prime minister, said on Thursday: “X has got to get a grip of this. And Ofcom has our full support to take action in relation to this. This is wrong. It’s unlawful. We’re not going to tolerate it. I’ve asked for all options to be on the table.”Some prominent MPs and committees have announced they will stop using X, including the women and equalities committee, whose chair, Sarah Owen, said this week the site was “not an appropriate platform to be using for our communications”.Louise Haigh, the former transport secretary, on Thursday called for the government to leave the platform, saying it would be “unconscionable” to use it “for another minute”.Others, however, are urging the government to remain on the site, which says it has more than 500 million monthly active users and remains one of the biggest social media platforms in the world.James Lyons, a former director of communications to Starmer, told the PoliticsHome podcast this week: “I take the view that your job in political communication is to persuade people.“And to persuade people, you have to engage, and I think you should be using all the platforms and forums that you can to do that.”None of the major parties have yet left the site.Asked this week whether he would stop taking payments from X for his posts, the Reform UK leader, Nigel Farage, declined to answer, saying he was “very worried” about the images on the site but believed the company would listen to criticism.