‘Teenagers afraid to leave their bedrooms’ over deep fake images - Mayo TD

Mayo TD Keira Keogh has issued a stark warning about the devastating impact of AI-generated imagery on Irish children, revealing that teenagers are refusing to leave their bedrooms and skipping school while waiting for non-consensual images to be removed from online platforms.

Speaking at an Oireachtas committee hearing, Deputy Keogh painted a disturbing picture of the current crisis: "There are teenagers afraid to leave their bedrooms until an image is taken down. Children are locking themselves at home and refusing to go to school."

The Fine Gael TD pressed Minister of State Niamh Smyth on the timeline for reviewing legislative gaps, pointing out that while sharing non-consensual adult images is illegal, "it is currently a grey area whether it is illegal to generate non-consensual adult images."

Deputy Keogh also questioned how quickly hotline.ie is managing to remove reported content, highlighting the urgent need for faster responses given the real-world harm being caused to young people.

While much of the recent focus has been on Grok, the Mayo representative emphasized that the problem extends far beyond a single platform. "Grok is not the only problem. It has just brought this into the mainstream," she said, listing multiple AI platforms including Candy AI, Replika, character.ai, and Fantasy AI.

The TD raised broader concerns about AI chatbot relationships, citing a study showing 10% of Irish adults had romantic relationships with AI girlfriends last year. She quoted troubling comments from AI forums, including users claiming "most humans are not worth talking to" and others admitting to spending €200 monthly on AI companions.

"I am especially worried about the children coming up," Deputy Keogh said, calling for a cross-government approach to education and awareness beyond just regulation.

She challenged the minister on what urgent actions are being taken to protect both adults entering "addictive relationships with AI chatbots" and vulnerable children, noting that many platforms operate outside Irish jurisdiction.

Minister Smyth responded that a government memo would address the issue quickly, with hotline.ie aiming to remove content within 24 hours and new legislation to be introduced as soon as possible.