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The UK communications regulator Ofcom launched a proper investigation into Elon Musk’s social media platform X concerning its AI chatbot, Grok following stories that Grok has been used to generate nonconsensual sexual deepfakes.
Leon Neal/Getty Photos
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Leon Neal/Getty Photos
Indonesia and Malaysia quickly blocked X’s chatbot, Grok, over the weekend after it made scores of faux photos publicly sexualizing principally ladies and, in some situations, youngsters late final yr.
Governments world wide are additionally launching investigations. The newest got here on Monday because the UK media regulator, Ofcom, launched a probe into the social media platform, which might end in a ban.
Grok had been producing sexually express photos of individuals for a while. However the subject received widespread consideration in late December as individuals used the chatbot to edit a excessive quantity of present photos by tagging the bot in feedback and giving it prompts comparable to “put her in a bikini.” Whereas Grok didn’t reply to the entire requests, it obliged in lots of instances. In some instances, Bellingcat senior investigator and researcher Kolina Koltai famous, customers can get Grok to generate frontal nudes.
Untold numbers of ladies and in some instances, youngsters, as Reuters first reported, have had their likenesses sexualized on-line by Grok with out their permission, together with one of many moms of X proprietor Elon Musk’s youngsters.
It is uncommon for therefore many governments to take motion in opposition to a social media firm however this case is completely different, mentioned Riana Pfefferkorn, a coverage fellow at Stanford College. “Making little one sexual abuse [material] is flagrantly unlawful, just about in every single place on Earth.”
By final Friday, X had restricted Grok’s AI picture technology characteristic to make it solely accessible to paying subscribers. Non-paying customers can nonetheless put individuals in bikinis publicly with only a few clicks, however they will solely put in just a few such requests earlier than being prompted to join a premium membership, which prices $8 a month.
NPR reviewed Grok’s publicly accessible photos generated earlier this month and located it had stopped making photos of scantily clad ladies a number of days into 2026. Nevertheless, it typically nonetheless gives up bikini-clad males.
xAI, the mother or father firm of X, has been pushing grownup content material with Grok since final yr. In Could, Koltai first famous that the chatbot would generate sexually express photos in response to requests on X like “take off her garments.” This previous summer time, Grok launched “spicy mode” in its standalone app, which allowed customers to place bikinis on AI-generated characters.
Ben Winters, director of AI and privateness on the advocacy group Shopper Federation of America, mentioned that Grok no longer solely permits enhancing photos of actual individuals, nevertheless it additionally offers a straightforward distribution platform through X. “It is a additional and important escalation,” he mentioned.
Governments are outraged over X’s transfer to limit entry to the picture technology perform to subscribers. British Expertise Secretary Liz Kendall advised Sky Information “it’s insulting to say you could nonetheless entry this service when you pay for it.”
The Indonesian authorities discovered that Grok lacked efficient guardrails to cease customers from making nonconsensual pornographic content material primarily based on actual Indonesian residents, the Related Press first reported.
“The federal government sees nonconsensual sexual deepfakes as a critical violation of human rights, dignity and the security of residents within the digital house,” Indonesian Communication and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid mentioned in a press release.
The AP additionally reported Grok will keep blocked in Malaysia till efficient guardrails in opposition to misuse are put in place.
In response to NPR’s questions, X spokesperson Victoria Gillespie pointed to a assertion posted on January 3 that mentioned “anybody utilizing or prompting Grok to make unlawful content material will endure the identical penalties as in the event that they add unlawful content material.” The assertion echoed Musk’s personal submit earlier that day.
Such an method is an “try to abdicate accountability, ” mentioned Winters.
“It definitely isn’t just the person that’s prompting it alone,” he mentioned. “It’s the truth that the picture wouldn’t be created if not for … the software they made.”
Earlier than the wave of Grok-generated nonconsensual express deepfakes hit X, different AI makers had added related capabilities to their chatbots. In November, Google launched a brand new picture producing mannequin, Nano Banana Professional. In December, OpenAI up to date its mannequin ChatGPT Photos. Each may also edit photos to place individuals in bikinis, Wired reported final month. A thread on Reddit distributing such photos has been taken down.
In one other X submit, Musk prompt that since instruments from different AI corporations even have this undressing perform, the strain from governments is a type of censorship directed at his platform.
Koltai famous the pattern to make AI-generated nonconsensual intimate media has been within the making for the previous yr or two. “You may see these adverts in Instagram even – it is like, add a photograph of you and your crush and also you guys can kiss,” she mentioned. “In order that’s kissing and hugging, and then you definately see there’s that extra excessive spectrum.”
“There’s clearly an enormous subject inside the tech trade as a result of we have seen this throughout a number of platforms, and [there is] not all the time nice pointers or boundaries or regulation,” mentioned Koltai.
The criticism within the U.S. has been way more muted than in different nations. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Tex., posted on X Wednesday that the photographs “ought to be taken down and guardrails ought to be put in place.” He additionally mentioned that he’s “inspired that X has introduced that they are taking these violations critically and dealing to take away any illegal photos and offending customers from their platform.”
Grok has generated frequent controversy previously yr. Final summer time, the chatbot referred to itself as “MechaHitler” and spewed antisemitic conspiracy theories.
Apps with so-called nudifying capabilities have existed for years, principally within the shadows of the web. Winters mentioned officers have to do extra to police a few of X’s options. “There are misrepresentations concerning the security of their merchandise. There are violations of their phrases of service,” he mentioned.
“We’ve not seen actually any important motion from any U.S. businesses, whether or not it is state or federal, which have the authority to implement the legislation,” Winters mentioned.
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