Ofcom has launched a formal investigation into whether the X has complied with UK laws after reports claim its AI chatbot Grok created and shared sexualised images of children, the UK regulator has said.
Ofcom says it has started the investigation into the social media platform over the creation of deepfake sexual images using its AI tool.
An Ofcom statement said: “There have been deeply concerning reports of the Grok AI chatbot account on X being used to create and share undressed images of people – which may amount to intimate image abuse or pornography – and sexualised images of children that may amount to child sexual abuse material.
“As the UK’s independent online safety watchdog, we urgently made contact with X on Monday 5 January and set a firm deadline of Friday 9 January for it to explain what steps it has taken to comply with its duties to protect its users in the UK.
“The company responded by the deadline, and we carried out an expedited assessment of available evidence as a matter of urgency. We have decided to open a formal investigation to establish whether X has failed to comply with its legal obligations under the Online Safety Act.”
The UK watchdog has been in contact with X and xAI, Grok’s creator, over the production of images of undressed people and sexualised images of children and is carrying out an “expedited assessment” of the firms’ response.
Elon Musk, the boss of Grok’s creator xAI and the X social media platform where images have been shared, has accused the UK Government of being “fascist” and trying to curb free speech after ministers stepped up threats to effectively block his website.
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