UK watchdog investigates Elon Musk’s X over sexualised AI Grok images

The United Kingdom's media watchdog is investigating Elon Musk's social media platform X over the use of the Grok artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, which has come under scrutiny for being misused to generate sexually explicit and non-consensual images.

In a statement, Ofcom said there had been "deeply concerning reports" of the chatbot being used to create and share undressed images of people, as well as "sexualised images of children".

The AI platform was blocked in Malaysia and Indonesia over the weekend after authorities said it was being misused to generate non-consensual sexual deepfakes.

“Ofcom’s investigation into X is a line in the sand moment. This is not about hosting harmful content. It is about a platform-linked AI tool actively generating it," said Charlotte Wilson, head of enterprise at cybersecurity firm Check Point.

"When your own technology can create ‘undressed’ images of real people and sexualised images of children, you are no longer neutral infrastructure. You are part of the harm chain. Blaming bad actors misses the point," she added.

Launched in 2023, Grok is free to use on X. Users can ask the chatbot questions on the social media platform and tag posts they’ve directly created or replies to posts from other users.

Musk said on his social media platform X that the critics "just want to suppress free speech".

Last summer, the company added an image generator feature, Grok Imagine, that included a so-called “spicy mode” that can generate adult content.

If X does not comply with Ofcom's requirements, the media watchdog can seek a court order to force internet service providers to block access to the site in the UK altogether.

Ofcom could potentially issue X, if found to have broken the law, with a fine of up to 10 percent of its worldwide revenue or £18 million (€20 million).

The UK's technology secretary, Liz Kendall, will speak on Monday afternoon about Grok.