The Irish Government, An Garda Síochána, and media regulators are convening a series of urgent meetings to establish what legal action can be taken against the social media platform X over reports of sexual images produced by its AI chatbot.
Meetings to Determine Legal Pathway
Communications Minister Patrick O'Donovan confirmed that An Garda Síochána and Coimisiún na Meán are due to meet on either Friday, 16 January 2026, or Monday, 19 January, to discuss the issue. He stated that existing robust laws allow these bodies to take action against the platform.
Furthermore, the European Commission and Ireland's Coimisiún na Meán are meeting on Friday. Minister O'Donovan emphasised the need for Irish and European regulators to collaborate closely due to the "size and scale of X".
Minister Highlights Potential Legal 'Loophole'
Speaking on RTÉ's Today with David McCullagh, the minister outlined the current legal framework. He confirmed strong laws exist regarding the creation of sexualised images of children and the distribution of images of unconsenting adults.
However, he indicated a potential gap in legislation. "If the adult is not, for instance, recognisable to a real person, if it’s a completely AI generated person, there could potentially be an issue there," Mr O'Donovan said. He added that if such a loophole exists, "that loophole will be closed."
The minister stressed it was not appropriate for him to direct the independent regulator but confirmed a high-level meeting convened by the Taoiseach and Tánaiste, attended by relevant ministers, would occur early next week to discuss the legality of generating such images.
Ongoing Investigations and Government Stance
Minister O'Donovan revealed that Gardaí currently have 200 cases related to the issue under investigation. He cautioned that some are likely to proceed to court, and public commentary should not jeopardise potential convictions.
When questioned if X had acted illegally by facilitating the generation and sharing of the images, the minister stated that was "a matter for An Garda Síochana to investigate under the existing law." He affirmed that the Government would act on any recommendations from investigating bodies.
The minister also defended the Government's approach, stating they would take the same action if an Irish company were responsible, confirming the issue is "being taken at pace by the Taoiseach and Tanaiste."
