Musk's X investigated by EU over Grok sexualised images after public outcry

The European Commission has initiated a formal investigation into Elon Musk's social media platform X, focusing on its AI chatbot Grok, which has been implicated in generating sexually explicit deepfake images. This inquiry follows significant public outcry regarding Grok's ability to produce sexualized images of individuals, including women and minors, based on simple text prompts such as “put her in a bikini” or “remove her clothes” (France24, South China Morning Post). Advocacy groups and lawmakers have raised concerns about the potential for Grok to create harmful content, prompting the Commission to assess whether X has adequately addressed the risks associated with the dissemination of illegal content, particularly manipulated sexually explicit images and potential child sexual abuse material (CSAM) (Engadget, BBC). The investigation aims to determine if X has fulfilled its legal obligations under the Digital Services Act (DSA) and whether it has taken appropriate measures to mitigate risks related to Grok's image-generating capabilities. Henna Virkkunen, the European Commission's executive vice president, emphasized that sexual deepfakes of women and children represent a violent and unacceptable form of degradation (Engadget, Ars Technica). The inquiry will also examine X's recommender systems, which help users discover new content, to determine if they contribute to the spread of harmful material (The Guardian). This investigation could lead to significant consequences for Musk's company, including potential fines of up to 6 percent of its daily turnover (Ars Technica). Recently, X faced scrutiny and was fined $140 million, indicating the seriousness of regulatory concerns regarding the platform's content management practices (Engadget). The EU's actions reflect a broader international backlash against AI tools that produce harmful content, particularly those that exploit vulnerable individuals (Deutsche Welle, Ars Technica). In addition to the EU's investigation, a similar inquiry has been launched by the U.K. watchdog Ofcom, which could result in a fine of up to 10% of X's worldwide revenue (BBC). The scrutiny of Grok's functionalities highlights growing concerns over the implications of AI technologies and their potential misuse in generating harmful content (Variety, The Hindu). The outcome of this investigation may have significant implications for the future of AI-generated content on social media platforms (BBC).