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'Dehumanized': Princess of Wales Targeted in AI Deepfake Controversy

9Honey

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X users allegedly prompted the AI feature, Grok, to generate sexual images of the royal.

Summary

The article reports on the misuse of X's AI feature, Grok, which has been used to generate deepfake images of high-profile individuals, including the Princess of Wales. The incident raises significant concerns about AI's potential to create harmful and deceptive content, highlighting the challenge of regulating AI technologies to prevent misuse. The UK technology minister and regulatory authorities are involved, urging immediate action to mitigate such risks. While it underscores issues of personal privacy and abuse stemming from AI-generated content, the article doesn't explicitly address broader existential or catastrophic AI risks.

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The Princess of Wales is one of several celebrities to have fake nude or partially-nude photos generated of them by Grok, X's in-app AI assistant, the BBC has reported.The artificial intelligence tool has been embroiled in controversy since its release in 2023, with a number of users reporting false or misleading information provided in response to queries.Now the UK's regulatory authority for communications industries, Ofcom, has reportedly made "urgent contact" with X CEO Elon Musk, following claims the tool has been used to generate a number of naked images of Kate.The Princess of Wales is one of a group of celebrities to be targeted in an AI deepfake scandal. (Getty)According to The Guardian, UK technology minister Liz Kendall encouraged an urgent response to the matter, instructing Ofcom to "take any enforcement action it deemed necessary.""Make no mistake, the UK will not tolerate the endless proliferation of disgusting and abusive material online."We must all come together to stamp it out," she said in a statement.In a shocking report conducted by the BBC, they detailed seeing "several examples" on X of users prompting Grok to alter images of female celebrities, resulting in scantily clad and sexually explicit content being shared without their consent.READ MORE: Catherine 'in control' of her look since stylist's departureREAD MORE: Kate and William's condition as George prepares for high schoolREAD MORE: Swimming's power couple ties the knotSexually explicit or scantily-clad images were reportedly generated of the Princess of Wales. (Yui Mok - WPA Pool/Getty Images)Catherine was the subject of such requests, as well as journalist Samantha Smith.Speaking to the BBC, Smith said she felt "dehumanised and violated" by the incident."While it wasn't me that was in states of undress, it looked like me and it felt like me, and it felt as violating as if someone had actually posted a nude or a bikini picture of me," she said.Fourteen-year-old Stranger Things star Nell Fisher was also targeted, with users reportedly instructing the chatbot to create bikini-clad photos of the underage actress.Previously, Musk responded to similar claims regarding inappropriate use of X's AI feature, saying, "Anyone using Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content."For a daily dose of 9honey, subscribe to our newsletter here.Kate has previously been outspoken on the topic of internet safety, particularly for younger users.In an essay co-authored by the Princess of Wales and Harvard professor Robert Waldinger titled The Power of Human Connection in a Distracted Worldshe asserted that technology was "fuelling an epidemic of disconnection."Stranger Things actress Nell Fisher, 14, was also caught up in the Grok incident. (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)"While new technology has many benefits, we must also acknowledge that it plays a complex and often troubling role in this," she said.Buckingham palace is yet to release an official statement regarding the AI-generated images.All the royals who have written booksView GalleryFOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest in celebrity, lifestyle and opinion via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details. Share Mail Pinterest X RoyalsCelebrityKate MiddletonProperty News: Suburbs where house values rose most in the past 12 months.