David Lammy: US Vice President JD Vance Agrees Sexualized AI Images on X Are Unacceptable

In a surprising diplomatic development that could isolate Elon Musk from his closest political allies, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy revealed on Saturday that US Vice President JD Vance agrees that the flood of sexualized AI images on X (formerly Twitter) is "entirely unacceptable."

The revelation comes after a tense week of transatlantic sparring between the UK government and Musk, during which the tech billionaire labeled the British government "fascist" for threatening to ban his platform over safety concerns.

An Unexpected Alignment
Lammy, who met with Vice President Vance in Washington on Thursday, told reporters that despite Vance’s well-known stance as a tech-libertarian and AI enthusiast, the two found common ground on the issue of "non-consensual nudification."

The Meeting: During discussions that covered geopolitical topics like Greenland, Lammy raised the "Grok" scandal—specifically the AI's ability to strip clothes off women and minors in photos.

Vance’s Stance: According to Lammy, Vance did not defend the platform's "free speech" absolutism in this instance. "He recognized the very seriousness with which images of women and children could be manipulated... and he recognized how despicable, unacceptable, that is," Lammy said.

The Significance: This agreement is pivotal because Vance has previously railed against "excessive" AI regulation, most notably at the Paris AI Summit in 2025. His willingness to side with the UK government on this specific issue suggests a limit to the Trump administration's patience with "Big Tech" when child safety is involved.

The "Grok" Scandal Deepens
The diplomatic friction centers on Grok, X’s AI chatbot. Throughout early January 2026, reports surfaced that the tool was being widely used to generate photorealistic deepfake pornography of real people, including minors.


X's Response: On Friday, X attempted to quell the outrage by restricting Grok’s image generation tools to paid Premium subscribers only.

UK Rejection: Downing Street immediately rejected this fix. A spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the move "insulting," arguing that it effectively turns non-consensual deepfakes into a "premium service" rather than banning them. "If another media company had billboards in town centers showing unlawful images, it would act immediately to take them down," the spokesperson added.


"All Options on the Table"
While Musk continues to fire back on social media—claiming the UK wants "any excuse for censorship"—the regulatory noose is tightening.

Ofcom's Role: The UK media regulator, Ofcom, has confirmed it is in "urgent contact" with X. Under the rigorous Online Safety Act, platforms can be fined up to 10% of their global turnover if they fail to protect users from illegal content.

Potential Ban: Prime Minister Starmer has warned that "all options are on the table," refusing to rule out a temporary or permanent blockage of X in the UK if the company fails to comply with safety laws.