Ofcom is aware of the posts published by Grok on X
Ofcom is aware of the posts published by Grok on X
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Ofcom has confirmed it is aware of "sickening" Grok posts about Liverpool FC. The posts, published by AI tool Grok on social media platform X, shared lies about the Hillsborough disaster, Diogo Jota and the Heysel disaster before being deleted.
The vile comments were made when the AI bot was prompted by an X user to make "vulgar comments" and to "not hold back". Grok is a product of artificial intelligence company xAI and X, formerly Twitter, both of which are owned by Elon Musk. Grok responded to the user's request by making false claims about Liverpool FC fans relating to the Hillsborough disaster which led to the deaths of 97 Liverpool fans.
It continued to make several "appalling" remarks about Liverpool FC fans. For many years after the 1989 disaster, South Yorkshire Police falsely claimed ticketless Liverpool fans contributed to the crush at Sheffield Wednesday's ground.
The false narrative was comprehensively debunked by the findings of the Hillsborough Independent Panel in 2012.
Fresh inquests in 2016 found those who died at Hillsborough were unlawfully killed after a catalogue of failings by both the police and ambulance services.
In September last year, the ECHO travelled with Hillsborough family members - Margaret Aspinall, Charlotte Hennessy, Steve Kelly and Sue Roberts - as they met with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in Downing Street on the day the new Hillsborough Law was officially laid in Parliament.
Margaret Aspinall
Margaret Aspinall(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)
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The AI tool continued to respond to other user requests to make similar comments on the platform. In a now-deleted post on X, the tool made a false accusation relating to the car crash which killed Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and his brother, Andre Silva, last year.
Liverpool FC made a complaint to X on Sunday, March 8, after the posts gained a swathe of interactions and shares online. The posts were deleted the same day, with Ofcom now telling the ECHO it is aware of the incidents over the weekend.
Ofcom regulates the UK's communications services which includes oversight of online safety. In January this year, the independent regulator launched a formal investigation into the social media website as to whether the company had done enough to assess and mitigate the risk of this imagery spreading on its social media platform, and to take it down quickly where it was identified.
An Ofcom spokesperson said: "Under the Online Safety Act, tech firms must assess the risk of people in the UK encountering illegal content on their platforms, take appropriate steps to reduce the risk of UK users encountering it, and take it down quickly when they become aware of it.
"Those companies that do not comply can expect to face enforcement action. We’ve launched investigations into nearly 100 platforms, and issued nearly a dozen fines for non-compliance. We acted immediately to investigate the deeply concerning reports of potentially illegal AI-generated sexual imagery circulating on X, and will provide an update on this investigation in due course."
The ECHO asked the regulator whether an investigation has been launched, but is yet to receive a response.
On its website, Ofcom states the Online Safety Act regulates user-to-user services, search services and services that publish pornographic content.
Chatbots are regulated at all if they:
only allow people to interact with the chatbot itself and no other users (i.e. they are not user-to-user services);
do not search multiple websites or databases when giving responses to users (i.e. are not search services); and
It also said the regulator is not investigating xAI due to the scope of the Online Safety Act.
A Department of Science, Innovation and Technology spokesperson said: "These posts are sickening and irresponsible. They go against British values and decency. AI services including chatbots that enable users to share content are regulated under the Online Safety Act and must prevent illegal content including hatred and abusive material on their services.
Hillsborough Memorial at Anfield
Hillsborough Memorial at Anfield(Image: PA)
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"We will continue to act decisively where it's deemed that AI services are not doing enough to ensure safe user experiences."
The ECHO approached the government department for further information today, March 9, but is yet to hear back. The ECHO understands no meetings have taken place regarding the posts within central government.
Merseyside Police is aware of the posts, the ECHO understands, although it is unclear as to whether the police will be able to investigate.
Margaret Aspinall, whose 18-year-old son James was unlawfully killed at Hillsborough, has been one of the most prominent and important figures in the campaign for truth, justice and for a lasting legacy for the Liverpool fans who died in the disaster.
Ms Aspinall was informed of the posts by the ECHO on Sunday. She said: "We are fighting for a Hillsborough Law for the good of the nation. We have been through enough.
"These posts are appalling and sickening, I don't know how anyone can allow for these comments to go on social media. It makes me feel sick as we come to the anniversary [of Hillsborough]. We fought like hell to get to the truth, they were all unlawfully killed.
"It makes me feel sick that people can carry one like this. The government needs to get involved."
Hillsborough Law - officially called the Public Office (Accountability) Bill - aims to force public officials and contractors to tell the truth after disasters through a new legally bound duty of candour. The Bill will also see the biggest expansion of legal aid in a decade in order to provide a level playing field for families and loved ones appearing at inquests and inquiries.
She added: "We have fought so hard to get to the truth and that truth will help people in the future. We are fighting for a Hillsborough Law that will be for the good of the nation and these are the people we are fighting for."
It has also been reported how Grok made similar posts about Manchester United fans and the 1958 Munich air disaster. Reports state Manchester United joined Liverpool FC in complaining to the social media website about the AI generated posts.
West Derby MP Ian Byrne has called for "serious questions" to be asked as to how this happened.
He told the ECHO: "The comments highlighted are appalling and completely unacceptable. The hurt they will cause to the families and survivors of those involved in these tragedies will be immense.
"The vast majority of fans will feel horror and disgust at language like this. It is deeply shocking that hate filled content could be generated and circulated by Grok on such a major platform.
"Technology companies have a clear moral responsibility to ensure their tools do not produce or amplify abuse, and serious questions must be asked about how this was allowed to happen."