The Irish Government is moving swiftly to introduce new laws that would empower regulators to fine tech companies that allow harmful artificial intelligence abuses — in a move driven in part by outrage over the controversy surrounding Elon Musk’s Grok AI chatbot on X.
The proposed legislation, expected to be approved by cabinet in the coming days, would transpose the European Union’s Artificial Intelligence Act into Irish law and set out eight categories of dangerous AI use that violate fundamental rights and basic decency, according to the Irish Independent. Fines for breaches could reach €35 million or 7 per cent of a company’s annual turnover, whichever is higher, mirroring the EU’s sanctions regime.
The fast-tracked bill follows growing concern that Grok, the AI tool linked to X (formerly Twitter), has been used to generate and distribute non-consensual, sexualised and deepfake images — including depictions involving children and adults without their consent. The controversy has ignited both political and public backlash in Ireland and abroad, with regulators and lawmakers demanding stronger safeguards. In the UK, the media regulator Ofcom has opened a formal investigation into X’s handling of sexually explicit AI imagery, and Prime Minister Keir Starmer has warned that the government will intervene if the platform does not bring Grok under control.
Under the new regime in Ireland, a National AI Office is slated to be established by August to oversee enforcement of the AI Act and coordinate with existing authorities. This follows earlier progress designating key regulators, including the Data Protection Commission, Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, and Commission for Communications Regulation, to enforce the EU law’s provisions.
Enterprise Minister Peter Burke and Junior Minister for AI Niamh Smyth have said the Government wants Ireland to strike a balance between protecting fundamental rights and fostering innovation. The AI Act’s risk-based approach already bans eight high-risk AI practices across the EU, such as exploiting vulnerabilities linked to age or disability and untargeted scraping of facial images.
Critics, including civil liberties groups, have warned that enforcement bodies need more resources to carry out their duties effectively. Others have called for criminal penalties for misuse of AI tools that create exploitative or harmful content.
Locally, there have been calls from public representatives, including Dublin City Council members, to suspend official use of X due to concerns about harmful content generated by Grok, and to strengthen existing laws such as Coco’s Law to better address non-consensual AI imagery.
As lawmakers prepare to expedite the bill through the Dáil, the issue highlights Ireland’s broader effort to lead on responsible AI regulation while tackling emerging forms of digital abuse.
