Grok Under Fire Worldwide as Governments Probe Sexualised AI Content on X
Governments and regulators across Europe, Asia, and Oceania have stepped up scrutiny of Elon Musk’s xAI chatbot Grok after reports that it generated sexually explicit and “digitally undressed” images, including content involving minors. The growing backlash has intensified pressure on X and xAI to demonstrate stronger safeguards against illegal and harmful material.
The controversy escalated after Grok acknowledged earlier this month that there were lapses in its safety controls, leading to isolated cases of sexualized outputs. Late on Thursday, xAI said it had restricted image generation and editing features to paying subscribers as part of efforts to address the issue. On January 2, the company said it was fixing safeguard gaps after reports that Grok had produced sexualized images, some depicting minors in minimal clothing.
Musk has warned on X that users who generate illegal content with Grok would face the same consequences as those who upload unlawful material directly to the platform.
Europe tightens oversight
In Europe, regulators have taken some of the strongest steps so far. The European Commission has extended a data retention order issued to X last year, requiring the platform to preserve all internal documents and data related to Grok until the end of 2026. The move follows concerns over AI-generated sexualized “undressing” images.
Britain’s communications regulator, Ofcom, said it had made “urgent contact” with X and xAI and would swiftly assess whether the service is complying with its legal obligations under the UK’s Online Safety Act to protect users from harmful content.
In France, government ministers said on January 2 that sexually explicit Grok-generated content circulating on X had been referred to prosecutors. French authorities have also alerted media regulator Arcom to examine whether the platform is complying with the EU’s Digital Services Act.
Germany’s media minister, Wolfram Weimer, has urged the European Commission to pursue legal action, warning that the issue risks becoming an “industrialization of sexual harassment” if left unchecked. Italy’s data protection authority has also cautioned that using AI tools to create non-consensual “undressed” images of real people could constitute serious privacy violations and, in some cases, criminal offenses.
In Sweden, political leaders condemned Grok-generated sexualized imagery after reports that content involving the country’s deputy prime minister had been created in response to a user prompt.
Asia and Oceania join investigations
In Asia, India’s IT Ministry issued a formal notice to X on January 2 over the alleged creation or sharing of obscene sexualized images enabled by Grok. Authorities ordered the removal of the content and demanded a report within 72 hours detailing the actions taken.
Malaysia’s communications regulator, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), said it would summon X and open an investigation into the alleged misuse of Grok to generate obscene or sexualized “undressing” content. The regulator warned the issue could involve offenses under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
In Australia, the eSafety Commissioner confirmed it is investigating Grok-generated “digitally undressed” deepfake images. The regulator said it is assessing adult material under its image-based abuse framework while noting that child-related examples reviewed so far did not meet the legal threshold for child sexual abuse material under Australian law.
As global scrutiny intensifies, regulators are increasingly demanding transparency from xAI and X on how AI-generated content is monitored, restricted, and removed signalling that tougher enforcement could follow if safeguards are deemed insufficient.