Since Elon Musk took over what was once Twitter, it has become a site rife with hate and a heavy bias towards the extreme right in its strive to become a “haven” of free speech.
The recent Grok AI scandal in which users were able to weaponize its abilities to undress images of real people should be the final straw for the University of Southampton to stop using X.
Yes, the creation of these images has now been made illegal in the UK. Yes, politicians have called it out as disgusting.
But Elon Musk is showing little remorse, limiting Grok’s photo editing abilities to paid X subscribers, monetizing a tool that has been utilised to create non-consensual sexual images, even if he has claimed the creation of these images is now strictly prohibited.
The rot on X goes deeper than Musk. While Grok AI made the images, it was predominantly male X users who prompted it, with research suggesting that they encouraged and guided one another to create indecent images of women and girls.
Even if it seems that this has been ‘resolved’, how many more chances should the University of Southampton as an institution give this toxic space of fake news, hate speech, political antagonization, and sexual abuse?
A university that prides itself in diversity, ground breaking research, and progression should not form a part of this space. Let’s not kid ourselves too, the University of Southampton is one of the most prestigious educational institutions in the world.
We, as an institution, made up of students and staff from all walks of life, must take a stand against X, Musk, and the general direction that social media and AI are headed. Continuing to post on X is contradictory to what the university stands for.
Universities, as the true havens for free speech and educational emancipation hold a responsibility to call out the ills of society. It seems ironic to be teaching students about the dangers of AI and the media whilst remaining active on X.
As students, we pay for the privilege to form a part of this space and I, for one, do not want my university to act within the realms of a social media platform that opposes so greatly what this university stands for.
Crucially, this is not saying that the University should delete social media, these sites are integrated and inevitable parts of our lives. It is, however, saying that the university should disassociate itself with Musk and X.
The solution? Well, I see it as rather simple. Delete X. It should be seen as a small cost for maintaining morals as one of the world’s most important and prestigious educational institutions.
Other institutions and key figures in Southampton have already taken this step, such as Darren Paffey MP, Satvir Kaur MP, and Southampton City Council.
The University of Southampton should be leading the fight against these incredibly dangerous uses of AI and hate speech on X, not representing itself on the same platform.
