DUBLIN, Ireland: Ireland has "robust and effective legislation in place" to deal with photo manipulation, Minister with Special Responsibility for AI Niamh Smyth said after meeting the Attorney General.

Smyth warned big tech companies, who have been invited to attend the Oireachtas media committee on February 4, "it is critically important that they present themselves in front of our legislators."

In a statement on January 15 evening, she said, "On Wednesday, I met with Coimisiún na Meán to address serious concerns about AI-generated harmful content on X, including non-consensual intimate images and child sexual abuse material.

She said she had urged swift, coordinated action with the European Union Commission, including a formal investigation to protect citizens across all 27 member states.

She said protecting the most vulnerable people cannot be delayed. The European Commission has already started investigating X over its duties under the Digital Services Act and will now also review the changes X has announced to its Grok chatbot.

She said she met the Attorney General to clarify what constitutes illegal content under Irish and EU law, and that she is confident that strong laws are already in place.

She explained that under the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act of 1998, it is illegal to share images that show a person as a child in sexual situations, whether real or fake, or that focus on sexual body parts.

She said Coco's Law makes it illegal to share private images without consent if the goal is to cause harm, and that sharing such images or any child sexual abuse material is always illegal.

She said different agencies handle different parts of online safety: Coimisiún na Meán oversees online platforms, police investigate crimes, the Data Protection Commission handles privacy laws, and the European Commission enforces the Digital Services Act.

She advised anyone worried about images shared online to report them to the police, the platform where they saw the content, and to Coimisiún na Meán. She also said she will meet with X this week to discuss the issue further.

Earlier, Elon Musk's AI company xAI said it had added limits to its Grok chatbot after it created sexualized images that raised concerns with regulators around the world. Governments in Europe and Asia have taken action, including bans and demands for stronger safety measures.

The company said it has added technology to stop users from editing images of real people in revealing clothing, such as bikinis.