Midlands North West MEP Maria Walsh has described pornographic and sexual deepfake AI-generated content as “the next frontier of gender-based violence”.

Fine Gael MEP Walsh, who represents Galway, said anyone who creates, shares or profits from this form of online abuse be held accountable.

A proposal by the Mayo woman at the European Parliament’s Gender Equality Committee means that a focus on tackling deepfakes was adopted among the priorities for the United Nations.

MEP Walsh is a full member of the Gender Equality Committee and is the lead negotiator for the EPP, the Parliament’s largest political group, on the EU’s priorities for the 70th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW).

It takes place in New York this March and Ms Walsh will attend on behalf of the European Parliament.

The adopted text includes amendments from MEP Walsh committing to stronger action, at European and international level, to address the risks posed by deepfakes and sexual AI-generated content, such as those created by Grok and other AI platforms.

“I will be travelling to the United Nations this March with a very clear message on behalf of the European Parliament: deepfakes must be recognised for what they are – the next frontier of gender-based violence,” she said.

MEP Walsh said online companies cannot profit while women pay the price.

“Action must be taken on the world stage, as well as in Ireland and Brussels, for the scourge of deepfakes to be stamped out,” she said.

MEP Walsh urged the European Commission to immediately suspend Grok within the EU while it conducts a formal investigation into the platform. The Commission opened proceedings under the Digital Services Act, after X’s AI chatbot Grok was used to create sexual deepfake images of women and children.

“Grok is still being used to create sexual images of women and girls without their consent – despite widespread public uproar. I strongly believe that the use of X’s chatbot should be suspended within the EU immediately while this investigation is underway,” she said.

The issue was recently raised by former Fianna Fáil General Election candidate in Galway West, Gráinne Seoige at an Oireachtas committee.

Atlantic Technological University – formerly GMIT – announced last week that it has left Elon Musk’s X/Twitter due to the ongoing controversy over AI-generated sexualised content on Grok.

Green Party bye-election candidate, former Galway City Councillor Niall Murphy, also left the platform in protest.

Pictured: Midlands North West MEP Maria Walsh