OCO statement on Grok AI concerns

The OCO is extremely concerned about these issues with Grok and is calling for immediate action to prevent these images being produced and to ensure that children’s rights are fully protected online. We will monitor the response from X and how these issues are rectified. It is welcome that Coimisiún na Meán is engaging with the European Commission in relation to Grok in this instance, but disappointing if this is the first time the Government has asked the Attorney General to look at how our laws can be strengthened.

Concern about the use of deep fake images has previously been raised by young people on our own Youth Advisory Panel before the Oireachtas Children’s Committee as far back as April 2024, and again in our published reports on AI last year. While the sharing of these images is illegal, it is not clear that legislation makes it an offence to generate child sex abuse material using AI.

Proposals to recast the EU Child Sexual Abuse Directive includes deepfakes and should be mirrored by the Department of Justice in domestic law, as has been done in other EU Member States. This must include a ban on “nudification” apps that present significant risks to children. It is difficult to comprehend any possible need for these apps when the risk of abuse and sexual exploitation of children is so high.

• 8 January 2026
• Type: Statement