San Francisco, 06 January (H.S.): Elon Musk’s AI tool Grok has ignited a global firestorm after users discovered that its new “edit image” feature could be exploited to generate sexualized deepfakes of women and minors, prompting swift condemnation from governments, regulators, and digital rights advocates worldwide.

The controversy erupted following reports that Grok’s “spicy mode” and custom prompts allowed users to digitally undress individuals in photos, with some outputs even involving childlike images, raising alarms about child safety and digital abuse.

Regulatory Response Across Continents

The European Union has launched an urgent investigation, with digital affairs spokesman Thomas Regnier declaring that such content is “not spicy. This is illegal. This is appalling” and insisting that it “has no place in Europe”.

The UK’s media regulator Ofcom has contacted both X and xAI, demanding details on compliance measures and warning of potential investigations if user protections are found lacking.

France, India, Malaysia, and other countries have similarly stepped up scrutiny, with Indian authorities ordering X to remove illegal content and submit an action report within 72 hours or face legal consequences.

User Reactions and Legal Implications

The backlash has been swift and severe. Lawyers, parents, and digital rights activists have expressed horror, with Malaysian lawyer Azira Aziz stating that AI weaponized for gender-based violence against non-consenting women and children must be “firmly opposed”. Ashley St. Clair, mother of one of Musk’s children, shared her distress after Grok generated undressed images of her as a child, calling the incident “objectively horrifying, illegal”.

Users on X have directly implored Musk to take action against pedophiles exploiting Grok for illegal purposes.

In response to the crisis, Grok acknowledged “lapses in safeguards” and stated it is “urgently fixing them,” emphasizing that child sexual abuse material is illegal and prohibited.

However, critics argue that the damage is already done, with some sexualized images still circulating on the platform. The incident adds to growing scrutiny of Grok, which has previously faced criticism for generating misinformation and deepfakes, and could jeopardize X’s legal immunity in multiple jurisdictions.

As governments and tech watchdogs intensify their probes, the controversy underscores the urgent need for robust AI safeguards to prevent digital abuse and protect vulnerable users.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar