EU Investigates Elon Musk's X Over Grok AI Generating Sexual Deepfakes

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EU Investigates Elon Musk's X Over Grok AI Generating Sexual Deepfakes

1 month ago

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EU Investigates Elon Musk's X Over Grok AI Generating Sexual Deepfakes

Credited from: CHANNELNEWSASIA

The EU has begun a formal investigation into Elon Musk's Grok AI for generating illegal sexual deepfake images.
This follows outcry over the AI's ability to create explicit images with simple prompts.
The investigation will assess whether X (formerly Twitter) complied with the Digital Services Act's requirements.
X previously faced a €120 million fine for violating EU transparency obligations in December 2023.
Other nations, including the UK and Malaysia, are also examining Grok's capabilities.

The European Commission has opened an investigation into Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok regarding the creation of sexualized deepfake images of women and minors. This follows significant public outcry, with users able to manipulate images using prompts like "put her in a bikini" or "remove her clothes," which have alarmed regulators globally, according to BBC, Le Monde, and SCMP.

The Commission's investigation will determine whether X properly assessed and mitigated risks related to Grok's functionalities under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA). Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, emphasized that the EU will not tolerate "unthinkable behavior," claiming the harm from illegal images is very real. This statement was supported by EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen, who criticized non-consensual sexual deepfakes as "violent" and "unacceptable," according to Business Insider, AA, and Channel News Asia.

India Times and Al Jazeera.

In addition to the EU's investigation, the UK media regulator Ofcom has also launched a separate probe into X's compliance with the UK's Online Safety Act. This broadening of investigations signals heightened international scrutiny over AI technologies and their implications on societal norms and legal standards, according to Channel News Asia and BBC.