Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said he will convene a meeting with the Attorney General to discuss the social media platform X's Grok AI system due to its use by some people to produce non-consensual images of women and children.
Since last month, new image edit features on Grok have allowed users to create sexually explicit images of people, including children.
Last week, X limited access to image generation and edit functions to paid subscribers.
Mr Martin described the issue as "very grave and very serious" that the Government would respond to.
He said he believed the public should report any incidents to An Garda Síochána so the "full range" of law can be applied.
Responding to a question from Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns during Leaders' Questions, he said: "I have asked the Attorney General, he is providing advices, but I am convening a meeting with a number of Government ministers relevant to this issue with the Attorney General.
"There is existing legislation, the AI Act, which may not cover all aspects of this and I want a rigorous examination of that.
"And if there's any gaps in the law, and there may be, for those to be addressed quickly."
Mr Martin said the Government would have to engage with platforms in respect of the issue in order to protect women, children and all citizens.
The Fianna Fáil leader said existing law enforcement should be applied through the Digital Services Act, the European Commission's powers in relation to the proliferation of illegal content online, as well as through Coimisiún na Meán.
Ms Cairns said Grok has generated hundreds of thousands of abusive images of women and children on X.
She said "no thought" was given by X in relation to how the AI tool could be "weaponised" against women.
"The company didn't even bother to include age restrictions to prevent child sexual abuse imagery be generated," she said.
"This isn't just horrifying and shocking, it is illegal under the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act," she added.
Ms Cairns said offences under this act can be committed by companies and is not limited to individuals creating or sharing child abuse material.
"This means that a company like X...which is facilitating the creation and distribution of child abuse material can be prosecuted here," she said.
She accused the Government's response to the issue as "mute and confusing".
Mr Martin said he was not aware of any specific investigation into any illegality or breach of the law in relation to Grok.
He said any investigations were a matter for the investigating authorities, and that An Garda Síochána does not alert the Government to every investigation as it has to observe due process.
"I presume this is how this issue will be dealt with," he added.
Opposition parties have called on Government to consider banning Grok in Ireland.
The Green Party, Labour and Social Democrats individually have raised serious concerns over the situation, saying State bodies should consider no longer using the social media platform and that Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan needs to clarify if the images amount to a "criminal act".
Since last month, new image edit features on Grok have allowed users to create sexually explicit images of people, including children.
Last week, X limited access to image generation and edit functions to paid subscribers.
The changes led to widespread criticism from politicians, regulators and campaign groups.
Speaking to reporters at Leinster House, Green Party leader Roderic O'Gorman said the growing controversy over how Grok is being used means a discussion is needed on whether the AI system should continue to be allowed in Ireland.
He said he has personally taken the decision to cancel his X account, which was followed by 21,000 users, over the situation.
Mr O'Gorman said that while "we've become a bit numbed" to what is happening, the reality is these are "child sexual images" and that Minister O'Callaghan should clarify if they constitute a crime.
His view was repeated by Labour senator Laura Harmon, who said what is happening is "wrong on so many levels" and that "we're talking about child abuse imagery here".
Senator Harmon said Labour is considering whether to remain on X due to the situation, and criticised Minister for Media Patrick O'Donovan's comments last week that how Grok is used is up to individuals, saying "I think there needs to be clarity on this".
Her party colleague, Labour TD Duncan Smith, said there needs to be a decision on whether State bodies and individuals continue to use X, saying "where's your line".
Meanwhile Social Democrats deputy leader Cian O'Callaghan said "Government needs to use existing legislation" to address the non-consensual images.
The situation was also raised by People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett, who said under Dáil privilege that "I honestly do not understand why the police have not gone into X and started arresting people" as "any fair reading" of existing laws would say "the pedalling of these images are criminal offences".
However, Mr Martin responded that politicians cannot also be the judiciary, and that such a move would risk individuals who are not responsible for the images being arrested, before referencing a dystopian George Orwell novel, by saying "this is not 1984".
Gardaí would act if Grok-type tool 'set up in someone's basement' - minister
A Government minister has said that if a business creating the type of images produced by Grok was "set up in someone’s basement" it probably would be raided by gardaí "the next day".
Minister for Further and Higher Education James Lawless said the chatbot is particularly challenging to tackle as it is a "publication tool" and not the "primary tool".
"It’s very unexpected how it came about, but I think that we’re not alone in finding this a challenge."
Speaking to reporters ahead of a Cabinet meeting, Mr Lawless said legislation that can deal with "cases that aren't even envisaged yet" is needed as "technology will always evolve".
"I don’t think Ireland is any better or worse than any other country in that regard. I think that the world struggled with this," he said.
"As legislators, we need to get on top of this very quickly."
Mr Lawless said the EU Artificial Intelligence Act would be an "opportunity" to help regulate the industry.
Read more:
Ofcom launches investigation into X over Grok concerns
X limit on Grok image edits 'window dressing', says minister
Separately, the UK government said that it would bring into force a law to make it illegal to create non-consensual intimate images and for companies to supply the tools designed to create such images.
The Chair of Digital Rights Ireland described these as positive steps but said that X needed to be investigated for its criminal liability in enabling nudification.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, TJ McIntyre said that it needs to be looked at "in the wider geopolitical context".
"The reality is that the UK authorities are still largely afraid of taking decisive action against X, and I have to suspect that the Irish authorities are likewise," he said.
"Because, as things stand under Irish law, we could investigate X, the gardaí could investigate X for criminal complicity in the creation of child abuse images, the possession and distribution of child abuse images and the creation and distribution of intimate images, so-called revenge porn."
Mr McIntyre said that the law needed to be enforced.
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There are regulatory issues regarding the internet, particularly the Digital Services Act, as it was not conceived with this scenario in mind, he said.
Mr McIntyre also said that the Government could certainly do more in fining a company, but "we have the power in place to deal with this particular scenario already".
X offering the use of Grok to create and share pictures of undressed women and children is horrendous. @EU_Commission has already:
— Henna Virkkunen (@HennaVirkkunen) January 12, 2026
taken investigative steps
ordered the company to retain internal documents.
The EU's Commissioner for Tech Sovereignty warned X to quickly fix Grok or face consequences under the Digital Services Act.
In a post on X, Henna Virkkunen said the European Commission had taken investigative steps against the creation and sharing of images of undressed women and children.
Media regulator Coimisiún na Meán said that it is engaging with the commission over the concerns.
Additional reporting PA
