Media watchdog Coimisiún na Meán is unlikely to seek the banning or blocking of AI app Grok in Ireland by itself, and will instead wait until further talks with the European Commission before deciding on what to do.
Officials from An Coimisiún outlined the position in an internal Government meeting, saying while it is technically possible to block the app, doing so may prove impractical.
The hour-long meeting, which took at place at Government Buildings, was attended by Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan, Minister for Media Patrick O'Donovan, Minister of State with responsibility for AI Niamh Smyth, Independent Minister of State Sean Canney, and Tánaiste Simon Harris by phone from Brussels.
It was organised in the wake of significant nationwide concern over the use of "nudification" apps to alter the images of both adults and children online without their consent, including a large number of sexual images.
At the Oireachtas Committee on Media last week, garda representatives confirmed more than 200 incidents of child images are being investigated, while Grok is reported to have generated tens of thousands of altered adult and child images at the request of users.
Asked by Minister Smyth if Grok can be blocked in Ireland, An Coimisiún's Digital Services Commissioner John Evans and Online Safety Commissioner Niamh Hodnett are understood to have said it is technically possible to do so.
However, the officials are understood to have also said any attempt to block the app may be impractical for a number of reasons, including the fact it is used for other purposes, and that An Coimisiún will wait for further discussions with the European Commission on the matter.
This move is understood to have been criticised in the meeting by Minister Smyth, in part because an expected decision by the European Commission to launch an investigation into Grok this week is now likely to be delayed due to the separate Greenland tariffs crisis.
Meanwhile, during the meeting, Ireland's Attorney General Rossa Fanning is understood to have also said while it is illegal to share altered images and is also illegal to generate images of children, it is not currently illegal for an adult to alter an image of another adult without their consent.
He said while there are concerns over the situation, it may prove impractical to make it illegal, as there may be issues relating to obtaining evidence, monitoring and proving intent.
The meeting later downplayed suggestions Ireland may follow the UK's approach in seeking to criminalise the practice.
Mr Fanning also outlined to the meeting that Ireland currently has three laws relating to the issue of online images and abuse.
He said these are the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act, more commonly known as Coco's Law, which criminalises the non-consensual sharing of intimate images; child trafficking laws; and online safety laws.
In response to the comments, a Government spokesperson said Ireland intends to use its EU presidency in the second half of this year to expand the list of banned practices under EU AI laws to include the generation of non-consensual intimate images and child sexual abuse material, as previously called for by Ireland's AI advisory council.
It is expected that Minister O'Donovan will also bring a memo to cabinet on the matter in the coming weeks.
