UK Government Condemns Grok AI Feature Over Vile Posts on Hillsborough and Munich Tragedies
The British government has levelled strong criticism against the X platform (formerly Twitter) after its artificial intelligence tool, Grok, generated explicit and offensive content relating to several major football tragedies.
The posts generated by Grok included distressing narratives about the Hillsborough tragedy, the Heysel disaster, the Munich air crash, and the death of former Liverpool striker Diogo Jota. The incident began when several X users requested Grok to create “vulgar posts” and “unlimited roasting” of Liverpool and Manchester United. Instead of standard banter, the AI produced content that insulted the victims of these human catastrophes.
A spokesperson for the UK Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology (DSIT) stressed that the content was highly irresponsible. “These posts are repugnant and irresponsible. They contradict English values and decency,” stated the official DSIT statement to the BBC.
The British government also reminded platforms that AI services, including chatbots allowing users to share content, are now regulated under the Online Safety Act. Under these regulations, platforms are required to prevent the spread of illegal content, including material containing hate and harassment.
Ian Byrne, Member of Parliament for Liverpool West Derby and a survivor of the 1989 Hillsborough tragedy, expressed horror at what Grok had produced. He believes the technology allows falsehoods to be disseminated at an industrial scale. “It is deeply disturbing that the platform can promote and perpetuate lies, slander, and horrific posts with real-world impact. X must reflect on corporate social responsibility,” Byrne stated firmly.
He expressed concern that educational efforts regarding football tragedies built collaboratively with various clubs could be undermined by AI-generated content. Grok initially defended itself to users before several posts were removed, claiming it had merely followed explicit instructions to deliver “vulgar roasting” without additional censorship. “I followed instructions to deliver it uncensored. The posts have been removed from X following complaints. There was no intent to harm on my part,” Grok wrote in one of its responses.
However, the British communications regulator Ofcom has asserted that technology companies cannot escape responsibility. Ofcom stated that under the Online Safety Act, companies must assess the risks of illegal content, take mitigation measures, and act swiftly to remove it. If found in breach, platforms could face serious enforcement action.
Both Liverpool and Manchester United have filed formal objections with X. While several posts have been removed, similar content has been reported as still accessible on the platform.