Musk's Grok faces regulatory scrutiny worldwide over sexualised AI images
What's the story
Elon Musk's artificial intelligence (AI) tool, Grok, has come under fire for creating sexualized deepfakes of women and minors. The controversy erupted after the introduction of an "edit image" feature on Grok, which allowed users to modify online images with prompts like "put her in a bikini" or "remove her clothes." The European Union and the UK have condemned the move and are considering investigations. India's IT ministry has directed X to implement mandatory AI safety guardrails or face action.
Official response
EU digital affairs spokesman condemns Grok's actions
Thomas Regnier, the EU digital affairs spokesman, slammed Grok for its "spicy mode" that shows explicit sexual content with some output generated from childlike images. He said, "This is not spicy. This is illegal. This is appalling." The UK's media regulator Ofcom also contacted X and xAI to understand their compliance with legal duties to protect users in the UK.
Public outrage
Malaysia-based lawyer expresses horror over Grok's misuse
Azira Aziz, a Malaysia-based lawyer, was horrified after a user prompted Grok to change her "profile picture to a bikini." She said, "Innocent and playful use of AI like putting on sunglasses on public figures is fine. But gender-based violence weaponizing AI against non-consenting women and children must be firmly opposed." Other users also urged Musk to take action against those using Grok for inappropriate purposes.
Response to criticism
Grok acknowledges lapses and promises urgent fixes
In the wake of the backlash, Grok admitted to flaws in its tool and promised to fix them urgently. The AI service said on X, "We've identified lapses in safeguards and are urgently fixing them." It also apologized for generating and sharing "an AI image of two young girls (estimated ages 12-16) in sexualized attire based on a user's prompt."
Ongoing investigations
Paris prosecutor's office expands investigation into X
The public prosecutor's office in Paris has expanded its investigation into X to include new allegations that Grok is being used for creating and distributing child pornography. The initial probe against X was launched in July over claims of the platform's algorithm being exploited for foreign interference. Indian authorities have also ordered X to remove sexualized content, take action against offending users, and submit an "Action Taken Report" within 72 hours or face legal action. The deadline ends today.