The artificial intelligence chatbot Grok, developed by the company xAIElon MuskThe platform is facing increased scrutiny from governments and regulatory authorities in Europe, Asia, and Oceania. The reason: the dissemination on the X platform of AI-generated content deemed sexually explicit, sometimes presented as images of "nude" people, which has raised serious concerns about the prevention and removal of illegal content.
On Thursday evening, Grok announced it would now restrict image creation and editing to its paying subscribers only. The platform had already acknowledged on January 2nd that it was fixing security vulnerabilities after isolated cases where the chatbot had generated sexualized content, including depictions of minors in revealing clothing. Elon Musk stated that users creating illegal content through Grok would face the same penalties as if they downloaded such material directly.
In Europe, the authorities reacted swiftly. The European Commission extended a retention order requiring X to preserve all internal documents related to Grok until the end of 2026, due to concerns raised by AI-generated sexualized images. In the UK, the regulator Ofcom stated that it had made "urgent contact" with X and xAI to assess compliance with obligations under the e-security law. In France, the government referred the matter to the public prosecutor's office and alerted Arcom to verify the platform's compliance with European legislation on digital services.
Other European countries have expressed their concerns. In Germany, the Minister for Media called on the European Commission to take legal action, citing the risk of an "industrialization of sexual harassment." The Italian data protection authority warned of possible criminal offenses related to the creation of "nude" images of real people without their consent, while in Sweden, politicians denounced the generation of sexualized images involving a high-ranking government official.
In Asia, Indian authorities issued a cease and desist letter to X, demanding the removal of obscene content generated by Grok and a detailed report within 72 hours. In Malaysia, the communications regulator announced an investigation, warning that the misuse of AI could violate national communications and multimedia legislation. In Australia, the eSafety agency also launched an investigation into sexualized deepfake images as part of its program to combat image-based abuse.
This series of reactions illustrates the growing pressure on platforms integrating generative AI tools. Authorities are now demanding concrete guarantees regarding the ability of these technologies to prevent the production and distribution of illegal content, while the debate on the responsibility of AI actors intensifies internationally.
