Irish Minister for AI Expresses Complete Distrust in X Platform
The minister with responsibility for artificial intelligence in Ireland has publicly declared that she does not trust the social media platform X, following disturbing reports about the misuse of its Grok AI tool. Niamh Smyth made the stark admission during a tense session of the Committee on Artificial Intelligence, where evidence emerged that sexualised images of adults and child abuse material had been generated through Grok and disseminated across the platform.
Minister Challenges X's 'Skewed' Perspective on Controversy
Minister Smyth told committee members that the company's approach to the growing scandal appeared fundamentally "skewed" in its perspective. She expressed particular concern about the language X employed when discussing what it termed "bad actors" and "user manipulation" of the Grok AI system. "This terminology doesn't sit well with me," Smyth stated firmly, highlighting what she perceived as an attempt to shift responsibility away from the platform itself.
"I understand what that means," the minister continued. "However, this is a huge company with enormous financial resources behind it that possesses the design teams and technical capability to create this kind of technology in the first instance. We have very clear laws here in Ireland, and we operate under the Digital Services Act too, which establishes that proper guardrails and due diligence should be implemented with any technology that will affect European citizens."
Focus on Corporate Responsibility Rather Than Individual Users
Smyth emphasised that her primary concern rested with X and the Grok tool itself, rather than concentrating solely on individual users of the platform. "My focus and emphasis would be on X and Grok itself, not so much the users," she explained. "The users, of course, will be dealt with by the gardaí who will be taking care of that aspect."
The minister revealed that she had met with representatives from X earlier in the month, during which she was informed that corrective measures had supposedly been implemented. According to Smyth, company officials told her that "Grok, as integrated on the X platform, has been disabled from removing or reducing clothing on individuals worldwide."
Committee Member Presents Damning Counter-Evidence
Committee member and People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy immediately questioned the validity of this assurance from X. He directly asked Minister Smyth whether she had personally verified that the controversial functionality had indeed been disabled across the globe. "Well I didn't because I've disabled my own account," Smyth responded, "but I have asked the question, and I've been told that it has been disabled."
Murphy then presented compelling counter-evidence that appeared to contradict X's claims. He outlined how someone in his parliamentary office had successfully used the tool to generate an undressed picture of him through Grok on X, with his explicit consent for the demonstration. "I'll spare you the image – but it's not true, they lied to you," Murphy told the minister bluntly. "What are you going to do about it?"
Geographic Restrictions Revealed as Inadequate
The TD further highlighted discrepancies between what X had reportedly told the minister and what the company had stated publicly. "X in their statement said something different to what they seem to have told you," Murphy explained. "X in their statement said, 'we now geoblock the ability of all users to generate images of real people in bikinis, underwear and similar attire via the Grok account, and in Grok in X, in those jurisdictions' – whereas they told you it was worldwide."
Murphy demonstrated that the restrictions were not truly global in scope. "They haven't done it worldwide – so if you try and access it now in Ireland without using a VPN, you can't do it through X – but if you put a VPN to Paris, for example, you can still create these images," he revealed, suggesting the safeguards were easily circumvented.
Committee Chairman Shares Minister's Distrust
Committee chairman Malcolm Byrne told Minister Smyth, with whom he previously worked when she chaired the media committee, that he shared her profound distrust of X. "You know when you chaired the Media Committee, they were regularly tried to be dragged before the committee," Byrne recalled. "At least with the other platforms – whatever the criticisms were – they came before the committees, they engaged. I just don't trust X."
When directly asked whether she trusted X, Smyth responded unequivocally: "Not at the moment, particularly after what Deputy Murphy has announced here this morning." Pressed by Murphy on what concrete actions she intended to take, the minister asserted: "Believe you, me – I will take action."
Investigation Underway Amid Political Skepticism
Minister Smyth confirmed that media regulator Coimisiún na Meán was conducting its own investigation into the matter and working in "close collaboration" with the European Commission's probe into X. However, she added that she did not know whether this constituted a criminal investigation at this stage.
Despite the minister's assurances, Paul Murphy later expressed deep skepticism about the government's willingness to confront X meaningfully. The People Before Profit TD stated he had "no confidence" that substantive action would follow, adding: "Since this scandal was revealed, the Government has been determined to distract and divert from taking meaningful action against X/Grok."
The exchange highlights growing tensions between European regulators and major technology platforms over AI safety and content moderation responsibilities, with Ireland's AI minister now positioned firmly among those demanding greater accountability from social media giants operating within EU jurisdictions.
