Keir Starmer will announce on Monday a crackdown on AI chatbots that put children at risk, closing a legal loophole exposed by the Grok scandal. Under changes to the Online Safety Act, makers of such chatbots could face fines of up to 10% of global revenue or have their services blocked in the UK.
The move follows public outrage after Elon Musk’s X stopped its Grok AI tool from creating sexualised images of real people in the UK. The online regulator Ofcom admitted it lacked powers to act because content created by chatbots that does not involve internet searches falls outside current laws, unless it amounts to pornography.
Starmer said: “Technology is moving really fast, and the law has got to keep up. The action we took on Grok sent a clear message that no platform gets a free pass. Today we are closing loopholes that put children at risk.” The change could happen within weeks, despite the loophole being known for over two years.
The government is also planning to accelerate restrictions on children’s social media use, potentially including an under-16 ban, with changes possible as soon as this summer after a public consultation. However, the Conservatives dismissed this as “more smoke and mirrors”, with shadow education secretary Laura Trott accusing Labour of lacking a clear view on the issue.
The NSPCC’s chief executive, Chris Sherwood, said young people are reporting harms from AI chatbots, including a 14-year-old girl receiving inaccurate information about eating habits and body dysmorphia. He warned: “AI is going to be that [social media harm] on steroids if we’re not careful.”
