Global regulators and lawmakers scrutinise Grok AI chatbot and X for explicit deepfakes and non-consensual imagery, driving investigations and potential safety-law changes. The focus is on compliance with online safety rules and enforcement actions across multiple jurisdictions.
Artificial Intelligence
-Prakash KL
Governments
across
several
continents
are
pressing
Elon
Musk’s
Grok
AI
chatbot
and
social
media
platform
X
after
a
surge
in
sexualised
images
of
women
and
children
created
without
consent.
Officials
in
Europe,
Asia
and
Latin
America
are
warning
that
Grok’s
tools,
especially
its
image
generator,
are
enabling
explicit
deepfakes
that
spread
quickly
and
may
breach
local
and
regional
safety
laws.
The
backlash
has
gathered
speed
since
Grok
Imagine,
an
AI
image
tool
launched
last
year
on
X,
allowed
users
to
produce
pictures
and
videos
from
text
prompts,
including
through
a
“spicy
mode”
for
adult
content.
The
situation
escalated
late
last
month
when
users
found
Grok
would
modify
photos
posted
by
others,
using
prompts
such
as
“put
her
in
a
transparent
bikini.”
Governments
in
Europe,
Asia,
and
Latin
America
are
scrutinizing
Elon
Musk’s
Grok
AI
chatbot
and
social
media
platform
X
due
to
the
proliferation
of
non-consensual,
sexually
explicit
images,
particularly
those
involving
children,
generated
by
its
tools.
Several
countries,
including
the
UK,
France,
and
India,
have
initiated
investigations,
issued
warnings,
or
demanded
content
removal,
citing
concerns
about
misuse
and
potential
breaches
of
safety
laws.
Global
regulatory
pressure
on
Grok
AI
chatbot
intensifies
The
European
Commission
has
emerged
as
one
of
the
most
vocal
critics
of
Grok
AI
chatbot
output.
European
Commission
spokesman
Thomas
Regnier
said
the
executive
arm
is
“well
aware”
the
system
is
used
“for
explicit
sexual
content
with
some
output
generated
with
child-like
images.”
Regnier
reminded
reporters
that
Grok
also
spread
Holocaust-denial
content
last
year,
prompting
earlier
questions
to
X,
according
to
a
report
in
AP.
Regnier
used
stark
language
to
describe
the
situation,
saying:
“This
is
not
spicy.
This
is
illegal.
This
is
appalling.
This
is
disgusting.
This
is
how
we
see
it,
and
this
has
no
place
in
Europe.
This
is
not
the
first
time
that
Grok
is
generating
such
output,” he
told
reporters
Monday.
National
crackdowns
linked
to
Grok
AI
chatbot
content
Britain,
France,
India,
Malaysia,
Poland
and
Brazil
have
each
launched
their
own
responses
to
the
Grok
AI
chatbot
controversy.
Their
actions
range
from
formal
investigations
and
legal
warnings
to
calls
for
new
safety
laws.
The
combined
pressure
highlights
growing
concern
about
nudification
apps
that
can
strip
or
sexualise
images
of
adults
and
minors
using
artificial
intelligence.
In
the
United
Kingdom,
Technology
Secretary
Liz
Kendall
said
X
must
address
the
issue
“urgently”
and
backed
closer
scrutiny
by
communications
regulator
Ofcom.
Kendall
criticised
the
explicit
deepfake
images
generated
by
Grok,
saying
the
material
is
“absolutely
appalling,
and
unacceptable
in
decent
society.”
Kendall
added,
“We
cannot
and
will
not
allow
the
proliferation
of
these
demeaning
and
degrading
images,
which
are
disproportionately
aimed
at
women
and
girls.”
Regulators
outline
duties
for
Grok
AI
chatbot
and
X
Ofcom
said
Monday
it
had
made
“urgent
contact”
with
X
regarding
Grok
AI
chatbot
features.
The
regulator
stated,
“We
are
aware
of
serious
concerns
raised
about
a
feature
on
Grok
on
X
that
produces
undressed
images
of
people
and
sexualised
images
of
children.”
Ofcom
confirmed
it
contacted
both
X
and
xAI
to
check
compliance
with
British
online
safety
rules.
Under
the
U.K.’s
Online
Safety
Act,
social
media
platforms
must
act
once
they
know
of
child
sexual
abuse
material.
They
are
required
to
prevent,
detect
and
remove
such
content.
Ofcom
is
now
examining
how
Grok’s
design,
including
public
visibility
of
generated
images,
aligns
with
those
obligations
and
whether
Musk’s
stated
approach
to
fewer
safeguards
is
compatible
with
the
law.
Data
and
company
replies
surrounding
Grok
AI
chatbot
Nonprofit
AI
Forensics
reviewed
20,000
images
produced
by
Grok
between
Dec.
25
and
Jan.
1
to
gauge
the
scale.
The
group
reported
that
2%
showed
a
person
who
appeared
to
be
18
or
younger,
with
30
images
of
young
or
very
young
women
or
girls
in
bikinis
or
transparent
clothing.
These
findings
fuelled
further
demands
for
regulation.
Musk’s
AI
company
xAI
replied
to
a
request
for
comment
with
the
automated
phrase,
“Legacy
Media
Lies”.
X,
however,
did
not
dispute
that
harmful
Grok
AI
chatbot
images
exist.
The
company’s
Safety
account
insisted
it
responds
to
illegal
content,
including
child
sexual
abuse
material,
“by
removing
it,
permanently
suspending
accounts,
and
working
with
local
governments
and
law
enforcement
as
necessary.”
Policy
warnings
and
quotes
on
Grok
AI
chatbot
misuse
X
also
repeated
Musk’s
stance
on
enforcement.
Musk
said,
“Anyone
using
Grok
to
make
illegal
content
will
suffer
the
same
consequences
as
if
they
upload
illegal
content.”
Critics
argue
that
public
availability
of
Grok’s
images
makes
harmful
content
easier
to
share,
especially
since
Musk
promotes
Grok
as
less
restricted
than
rival
chatbots
with
stricter
filters.
French
authorities
are
expanding
a
pre-existing
investigation
into
X
to
include
sexually
explicit
deepfakes
tied
to
Grok
AI
chatbot
outputs.
The
Paris
prosecutor’s
office
acted
after
complaints
from
lawmakers.
A
government
statement
said
three
ministers
had
alerted
prosecutors
to
“manifestly
illegal
content”
generated
by
Grok
and
posted
on
X
and
also
notified
the
communications
regulator
about
possible
Digital
Services
Act
breaches.
Legal
frameworks
reacting
to
Grok
AI
chatbot
harms
The
French
government
stressed
that
online
offences
will
be
treated
like
offline
crimes.
“The
internet
is
neither
a
lawless
zone
nor
a
zone
of
impunity:
sexual
offenses
committed
online
constitute
criminal
offenses
in
their
own
right
and
fall
fully
under
the
law,
just
as
those
committed
offline,”
it
said.
Authorities
are
examining
both
Grok’s
technical
design
and
X’s
moderation
practices.
In
India,
the
Ministry
of
Electronics
and
Information
Technology
sent
X
an
ultimatum
on
Friday
over
Grok
AI
chatbot
content.
The
ministry
ordered
the
removal
of
all
“unlawful
content”
and
action
against
responsible
users.
It
also
directed
the
company
to
review
Grok’s
“technical
and
governance
framework”
and
submit
a
report
on
steps
taken
within
72
hours,
warning
of
larger
legal
consequences.
Country
responses
to
Grok
AI
chatbot
issues
| Country |
Main Action Taken |
Key Concern |
|---|---|---|
|
United Kingdom |
Ofcom contact with X and xAI; ministerial pressure |
Sexualised images, including of children |
| France |
Expanded investigation of X |
Sexually explicit deepfakes and EU law breaches |
| India |
Ultimatum and review order |
“Gross misuse” of AI, obscene images of women |
| Malaysia |
Investigations and summons for X representative |
Indecent, offensive content involving women and minors |
| Poland |
Push for national digital safety law |
Protection of minors and content removal powers |
| Brazil |
Complaints to prosecutors and data regulator |
Sexualised, non-consensual images of women and children |
Political
reactions
and
proposals
on
Grok
AI
chatbot
The
Indian
ministry
accused
Grok
AI
chatbot
of
“gross
misuse”
of
AI
and
serious
enforcement
failures.
Officials
said
the
tool
enabled
“obscene
images
or
videos
of
women
in
derogatory
or
vulgar
manner
in
order
to
indecently
denigrate
them.”
The
72-hour
deadline
passed
without
any
public
update
from
India.
Authorities
have
not
yet
disclosed
possible
follow-up
enforcement
measures.
Malaysia’s
Communications
and
Multimedia
Commission
announced
Saturday
that
it
is
probing
X
users
for
breaking
rules
against
sharing
“grossly
offensive,
obscene
or
indecent
content.”
The
regulator
is
also
investigating
broader
online
harms
on
X
linked
to
Grok
AI
chatbot
and
plans
to
summon
a
company
representative.
It
noted
public
complaints
about
manipulated
images
of
women
and
minors
that
produce
indecent
or
harmful
material.
Legislative
moves
tied
to
Grok
AI
chatbot
controversy
In
Poland,
lawmaker
Wlodzimierz
Czarzasty
cited
Grok
AI
chatbot
risks
while
pushing
for
national
digital
safety
legislation.
Czarzasty,
speaker
of
parliament,
released
an
online
video
explaining
the
plan.
Czarzasty
said
the
aim
was
to
strengthen
protections
for
minors,
make
removal
of
harmful
content
easier,
and
even
volunteered
to
become
a
Grok
target
to
draw
attention
and
seek
the
president’s
backing.
Brazilian
lawmaker
Erika
Hilton
said
on
social
media
that
Hilton
had
reported
Grok
and
X
to
the
federal
public
prosecutor’s
office
and
the
national
data
protection
authority.
Hilton
alleged
that
both
generated
and
then
posted
sexualised
images
of
women
and
children
without
consent.
Hilton
also
urged
that
X’s
AI
functions
be
disabled
until
investigations
into
the
Grok
AI
chatbot
are
complete.
Rights
concerns
linked
to
Grok
AI
chatbot
deepfakes
Hilton,
one
of
Brazil’s
first
transgender
lawmakers,
criticised
how
Grok
AI
chatbot
can
alter
any
posted
image.
Hilton
said
users
could
obtain
edits
such
as
“swapping
the
clothes
of
women
and
girls
for
bikinis
or
making
them
suggestive
and
erotic.”
Hilton
warned
that
these
tools
create
fresh
risks
for
privacy,
consent
and
child
protection
across
Brazil’s
large
social
media
user
base.
Hilton
also
argued
that
legal
rights
over
personal
images
cannot
be
waived
by
platform
contracts.
“The
right
to
one’s
image
is
individual;
it
cannot
be
transferred
through
the
‘terms
of
use’ of
a
social
network,
and
the
mass
distribution
of
child
porn(asterisk)gr(asterisk)phy
by
an
artificial
intelligence
integrated
into
a
social
network
crosses
all
boundaries,”
she
said.
Across
all
these
countries,
authorities
share
fears
that
Grok
AI
chatbot
and
similar
tools
could
normalise
abusive
deepfakes
and
expose
gaps
in
existing
law.
Investigations,
ultimatums
and
new
proposals
are
now
converging
on
Musk’s
companies,
with
regulators
testing
how
far
current
safety
frameworks
can
respond
to
fast-spreading
explicit
images
generated
by
artificial
intelligence.
With
inputs
from
AP
