The European Commission has launched an investigation into Elon Musk’s X over the production of sexually explicit images and the spreading of possible child sexual abuse material by the platform’s AI chatbot feature, Grok.
The formal inquiry, launched on Monday, also extends an investigation into X’s recommender systems, algorithms that help users discover new content.
Grok has sparked international outrage by allowing users to digitally strip women and children and put them into provocative poses. Grok AI generated about 3m sexualised images in less than two weeks, including 23,000 that appeared to depict children, according to researchers at the Center for Countering Digital Hate.
The commission said its new investigation would “assess whether the company properly assessed and mitigated risks” stemming from Grok’s functionalities in the EU, including risks on the sharing of illegal content such as manipulated sexually explicit images and “content that may amount to” child sexual abuse material.
The investigation is launched under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), a relatively new piece of legislation that is intended to protect internet users from a wide range of harms.
Speaking to reporters, an official said the commission had not been convinced by mitigating measures put in place by X to remedy the issue. EU officials are investigating whether X has systems to mitigate risks properly.
Announcing the investigation, Henna Virkkunen, the commission’s top official for tech sovereignty, security and democracy, said: “Non-consensual sexual deepfakes of women and children are a violent, unacceptable form of degradation. With this investigation, we will determine whether X has met its legal obligations under the DSA, or whether it treated rights of European citizens – including those of women and children – as collateral damage of its service.”
Regina Doherty, an Irish MEP, said she welcomed the formal investigation. “When credible reports emerge of AI systems being used in ways that harm women and children, it is essential that EU law is examined and enforced without delay,” Doherty said.
In response to the investigation, X provided a link to a statement it published on 14 January: “We remain committed to making X a safe platform for everyone and continue to have zero tolerance for any forms of child sexual exploitation, non-consensual nudity, and unwanted sexual content.”
