Minister 'considering leaving X' after 'appaling' Grok deepfake child abuse controversy
Employment Minister Dame Diana Johnson said the use of AI to create sexualised deepfakes without consent was 'appalling'
Employment Minister Dame Diana Johnson has said she is considering leave X after the platform's AI was used to create lewd deepfakes of hundreds of women.
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Grok, the AI assistant on the platform owned by Elon Musk, has been hit with controversy in recent weeks after users used it to create scantly-clad photographs of women and girls without their consent.
Speaking to LBC's Tonight with Andrew Marr, Dame Diana said she is "reflecting now about staying on” X following the scandal.
She told Andrew: "I am appalled by what's happened, and let's be clear, it's not child pornography, this is actually child abuse.
"These are child abuse images that are being put forward. And I know that Peter Kyle and ministers in his department and Liz Kendall will be having those conversations, very strong conversations with the bodies that Elon Musk runs."
Read More: Elon Musk must urgently deal with Grok being used to create deepfake nudes, says tech secretary
When asked about a potential boycott of Musk's platforms, Dame Diana said: "I know actually a number of my colleagues have already done that. They've already chosen to do that...
"I am on there, but I am reflecting now about staying on there as well. And I've been on for a long time, since then about 2009 when it was Twitter. So, I'm reflecting as well, because I absolutely think it's appalling what's happened."
Dame Diana also spoke on the Government's impending U-turn on raising business rates for pubs reported today.
The Employment Minister said she thinks “it's right that ministers have listened” to pub landlords and u-turned on the policy to increase business rates on the sector.
She also told Andrew, "If a pub landlord or a trade organisation comes forward and says, "we understand what your policy wants to do, but this is actually something you need to be aware of." I think that's right that we look at it."
"I think again, going back to the budget, the Chancellor announced the change to business rates, which I think was a good announcement in terms of making it fairer for smaller businesses. But alongside that, we had the fact that the previous re-evaluation around business rates had happened during Covid, and we know that profits were down then, and that had an effect on the re-evaluation.
"And the other point is, of course, that some of the help and support that was put in around Covid that's coming to an end. So, I think her policy was right, and money was made available to try and smooth the way for the other two factors that I've identified.
"But what's happened now is that the pub sector have come forward with more information to make their case to ministers. And I think it's right that ministers listen. If a pub landlord or a trade organisation comes forward and says, 'we understand what your policy wants to do, but this is actually something you need to be aware of.' I think that's right that we look at it."