News at One AI Minister to meet with X representatives
Jan 16, 2026
In this discussion, Brian O'Donovan, an RTÉ Work and Technology Correspondent with a keen focus on tech policy, dives into the meeting between Minister Niamh Smyth and representatives of X regarding the generation of sexualized images. He addresses the legal implications and recent updates on Irish law, alongside government stances on technology firms. Additionally, Brian highlights the investigation into child abuse material linked to generated content and examines TikTok's new age-detection technology, raising privacy concerns amidst its growing popularity.
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Legal Gap Around Sexualised AI Images
- Ireland's law bans generating sexual images of children but not necessarily sexual images of adults, creating legal ambiguity around AI tools like Grok.
- Brian O'Donovan says this legal gap is central to current disputes and enforcement challenges with X's image-generation features.
Act Fast With Cross-Agency Coordination
- Investigate and coordinate across agencies immediately when tech platforms raise legal risks or public harm concerns.
- Patrick O'Donovan emphasises that meetings with regulators and Gardaí are part of the steps being taken now.
EU Rules Limit National-Only Action
- Much of tech regulation affecting X falls under EU rules like the Digital Services Act, limiting purely national action.
- Brian O'Donovan notes Ireland's regulator must coordinate with European counterparts because X's European HQ is in Ireland.