UK ministers have condemned the misuse of the instrument, which has been used to generate and edit sexualised photographs of actual folks with out their consent.
Elon Musk has beforehand insisted ‘anybody utilizing Grok to make unlawful content material will endure the identical penalties as in the event that they uploaded unlawful content material’ (PA)
PA Archive
And Ofcom has now launched an investigation to find out whether or not X has did not adjust to on-line security legal guidelines.
Various nations have now banned Grok, and there have been requires the UK to dam the platform too.
Right here, we have a look at what Grok is, how it’s being abused, and the way governments all over the world are intervening.
Grok is a free AI chatbot developed by xAI, the artificial-intelligence firm owned by Elon Musk.
Launched in November 2023, it’s built-in into X, the place customers can tag Grok instantly in posts or replies below different customers’ posts to ask it for a specific response, or to generate or edit photographs utilizing AI.
It has been designed to supply candid responses and artistic outputs, with a status for looser content material moderation than rivals – which is the place the present problem lies.
Why is Grok attracting controversy?
Grok has been everywhere in the headlines prior to now few days, because the chatbot was responding to person requests to create sexually specific photographs of actual people with out their consent.
There have been hundreds of requests asking Grok to edit photographs of ladies to indicate them in bikinis or little clothes, with some content material showing to contain minors.
Elon Musk, founding father of X, is going through backlash over X’s AI chatbot which has been used to create sexualised deepfakes
AFP by way of Getty Photographs
Will it’s banned within the UK?
There’s rising strain to dam Grok within the UK following the widespread misuse.
Expertise secretary Liz Kendall has stated that she would again the transfer, main Musk to accuse the federal government of desirous to suppress free speech.
Ms Kendall stated the UK’s On-line Security Act “contains the ability to dam companies from being accessed within the UK, in the event that they refuse to adjust to UK regulation” and “if Ofcom determine to make use of these powers they’ll have our full assist”.
Expertise Secretary Liz Kendall is ready to present a press release within the Commons on Monday (Ben Whitley/PA)
PA Wire
Ofcom, the web security watchdog, can positive or block apps or web sites that repeatedly fail to handle dangerous content material.
Beneath the On-line Security Act, Ofcom might additionally search a court docket order to stop third events from serving to X increase cash or be accessed within the UK, ought to they refuse to conform.
Various different UK ministers have additionally been fast to sentence Grok, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer calling the sexualised photographs “disgraceful” and “disgusting”.
Business secretary Peter Kyle stated the federal government would absolutely assist any motion taken by Ofcom, together with the likelihood that the platform may very well be blocked within the UK.
Reform UK chief Nigel Farage stated that X “must go additional” than the adjustments it had put in place – however added that stated the thought of banning X within the UK could be an assault on free speech.
In a press release this morning, Ofcom stated there had been “deeply regarding studies” of the AI chatbot getting used to create and share undressed photographs of individuals, in addition to “sexualised photographs of youngsters”.
Over the weekend, a Trump administration official likened the doable UK motion in opposition to X to censorship in Vladimir Putin’s Russia.
The place has it been banned and why?
Malaysia and Indonesia have already blocked entry to Grok because of their means to provide pornographic and non-consensual photographs involving ladies and youngsters, introduced the bans over the weekend.
Indonesia’s communications and digital affairs minister Meutya Hafid stated that utilizing Grok to provide sexually specific content material is a violation of human rights, dignity and on-line security.
Authorities within the nation have banned various sources of pornographic materials lately, corresponding to OnlyFans and Pornhub.
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Fee cited related issues, including that xAI’s safeguards had been insufficient.
Turkey restricted the usage of Grok in mid-2025, after it generated output deemed insulting to President Erdogan, violating native legal guidelines.
