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Jan. 6 (UPI) — British Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said Elon Musk must deal with “appalling and unacceptable” images of women without their consent generated by the platform’s Grok artificial intelligence service.

The Grok bot service has been digitally undressing women and putting them in sexualized situations without their consent.

Kendall called it “absolutely appalling.”

“We cannot and will not allow the proliferation of these demeaning and degrading images, which are disproportionately aimed at women and girls,” she said. “Make no mistake, the [United Kingdom] will not tolerate the endless proliferation of disgusting and abusive material online. We must all come together to stamp it out.”

X said in a statement: “We take action against illegal content on X, including Child Sexual Abuse Material, by removing it, permanently suspending accounts, and working with local governments and law enforcement as necessary.”

X user Daisy Dixon told the BBC that she found sexualized images of herself made by Grok.

She noticed that everyday pictures she had posted of herself on the platform were changed to undress her or sexualize her. It made her feel shocked, humiliated and afraid for her safety, she said.

“Myself and many other women on X continue to report the inappropriate AI images/videos we are being sent daily, but X continues to reply that there has been no violation of X rules,” she said. “I just hope Kendall’s words turn into concrete enforcement soon — I don’t want to open my X app any more as I’m frightened about what I might see.”

Jessaline Caine told The Guardian that the government’s action is “spineless.” Caine, a survivor of child sexual abuse, said that as of Tuesday morning, Grok was still obeying requests to change an image of her at age 3 to put her in a string bikini. ChatGPT and Gemini rejected the same requests.

“Other platforms have these safeguards so why does Grok allow the creation of these images?” Caine asked. “The images I’ve seen are so vile and degrading. The government has been very reactive. These AI tools need better regulation.”

Thomas Regnier, spokesperson for tech sovereignty at the European Commission told the BBC Newshour that the Commission is taking it very seriously.

“We don’t want this in the European Union … it’s appalling, it’s disgusting,” he said.

“The Wild West is over in Europe. All companies have the obligation to put their own house in order — and this starts by being responsible and removing illegal content that is being generated by your AI tool.”

It’s illegal to create or share non-consensual intimate images or CSAM, including AI deepfakes. Fake images of people in bikinis may also qualify.

Online child safety campaigner Beeban Kidron said AI-generated images of children in bikinis may not be CSAM but they disrespect children’s privacy and agency.

“We cannot live in a world in which a kid can’t post a picture of winning a race unless they are willing to be sexualized and humiliated,” The Guardian reported she said.

BUENOS AIRES, Jan. 2 (UPI) — Argentina’s government has enacted the so-called Fiscal Innocence Law, which changes tax evasion thresholds and seeks to encourage declaring and depositing undeclared U.S. dollar savings, commonly known locally as “dollars under the mattress,” into the formal financial system.

Official data show Argentines held about $254 billion outside the banking system as of September, slightly below the $256.5 billion reported at the end of 2023.

The phenomenon reflects decades of mistrust in the financial system after repeated economic crises, bank account freezes and successive currency devaluations. Under previous administrations, the volume of undeclared dollars grew sharply amid restrictions on access to the official foreign exchange market.

The initiative is part of President Javier Milei’s economic agenda. It aims to bring undeclared savings back into the formal economy, broaden the tax base and support economic activity.

The law introduces two main changes.

First, it seeks to protect taxpayers by shifting the legal standard from “guilty until proven innocent” to “innocent until proven guilty.”

Second, it simplifies the tax system by sharply raising the thresholds for pursuing tax evasion, which had not been updated for years. Simple tax evasion will now be investigated starting at $100,000, up from about $1,500, while aggravated tax evasion will apply from $1 million, compared with a previous threshold of about $15,000.

The reform also shortens the statute of limitations for tax crimes from five years to three. Taxpayers who receive a notice of irregularities will be able to normalize their situation by paying what they owe without facing criminal penalties.

The government stressed that the measure is not a tax amnesty, as individuals still must pay taxes owed on previously undeclared income.

“This law is probably one of the most important in Argentina’s recent history,” said Manuel Adorni, the government’s chief spokesman, during a press briefing. He said the reform overturns a legal paradigm in place for more than a century.

“Instead of being treated as suspects, all citizens are presumed innocent until the courts prove otherwise,” Adorni said.

He added that bringing these funds into the formal system could boost investment and deepen capital markets.

Private sector credit in Argentina currently amounts to about 9% of gross domestic product, well below the regional average, which ranges between 60% and 120%. The new law, Adorni said, creates an opportunity to channel savings into investment projects.

Economist Elena Alonso, co-founder and chief executive of Emerald Capital Global, told UPI the reform represents a profound shift in the relationship between the state and taxpayers.

“The core idea is to stop treating everyone as a suspect by default and move to a system where people are considered compliant unless the tax authority proves otherwise,” Alonso said.

Previously, she said, the system placed the burden on taxpayers to prove they had done nothing wrong even in the absence of evidence.

“This does not mean taxes will go unpaid or debts will be forgiven,” Alonso said. “It simply means wrongdoing must be proven first and only then can the state make a claim.”

She said the change would lead to more targeted requests for clarification, focused on proven cases rather than minor or formal errors.

For citizens, Alonso said, the benefits include greater predictability, less fear of administrative mistakes and a more balanced relationship with the state. “That also encourages compliance because the system feels fairer,” she said.