Minister of State with responsibility for artificial intelligence (AI) Niamh Smyth has said she thinks that X failed to carry out adequate "risk assessment and due dilligance" on Grok.
She told the Oireachtas Joint Committee on AI that she "would assume" that this is what a European Commission investigation would "turn out", but added she did not want to preempt it.
She revealed that she would like to be able to immediately shut down X/Grok when such crises erupt.
"Ideally, in an ideal world I would like to be able to shut it down immediately", when something like this occurs, she told Sinn Féin TD Darren O'Rourke.
"A day of this continuing..... is a day too long," she said.
Coimisiún na Meán will be "gathering evidence" which it will share with the European Commission, she added.
The minister met with X once the crisis erupted, and told the committee that to say that "they apologised might be a step too far".
But X did "concede" that there was an issue of the app being used inappropriately, she added.
Minister Smyth said that she "[shares] the deep concerns that have been raised by members of the committee, and the public in general, in relation to reports of harmful and illegal content being generated and disseminated through the use of Grok on the X platform".
"This is a very serious issue. I have asked my officials to liaise with the commission on the potential for the AI Act to be amended to provide protections.
"The recent misuse of AI to generate appalling deepfake images is a prime example of how trust can be eroded and why governance is so important," she said.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, committee Cathaoirleach Malcolm Byrne said the rise of deepfakes and non-consensual images created by AI and circulated online is of great concern.
"In light of the European Commission's decision to launch an investigation, it is vital that we explore what more Ireland and the European Union can do to ensure that AI and other technologies are not used for harmful purposes," Mr Byrne said.
Separately, online safety charity CyberSafeKids will give a presentation to TDs and senators on the rise of AI "nudification/pornification" apps and their implications for Irish children, schools and adults.
CyberSafeKids CEO Alex Cooney said: "While Grok's nudification tool has made headlines, similar apps and websites have remained freely accessible to anyone with an internet connection, regardless of age.
"With AI advancements accelerating daily, we cannot afford further delay. Our children's digital lives demand urgent political leadership and cross-party action now."
