• The EU opens an investigation into Elon Musk's platform X due to the Grok AI chatbot's creation of sexual deepfakes.
• Regulators are concerned about risks related to the dissemination of manipulated sexual imagery and child sexual abuse material.
• Elon Musk's X is already under scrutiny following a €120 million fine for previous transparency violations.
• Responses to the investigation suggest tech companies must take responsibility for harmful content generated on their platforms.
• The situation has triggered international reactions, including concerns from the US government regarding regulatory impacts on American firms.

The European Union has commenced an investigation into Elon Musk's X platform concerning its AI chatbot Grok, which has been implicated in generating sexualized deepfake images of women and minors. The investigation was announced following a significant public outcry regarding the use of simple text prompts to create inappropriate content, leading to serious concerns over user safety and consent, particularly for vulnerable groups. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated, “In Europe, we will not tolerate unthinkable behaviour, such as digital undressing of women and children,” highlighting the severity of the issue according to BBC and SCMP.

The probe is set under the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA) to evaluate whether X has fulfilled its legal obligations and properly assessed risks associated with Grok's functionalities, which potentially expose users to illegal content. The investigation also concerns whether X has effectively mitigated the spread of manipulated sexual content, including material that could involve child exploitation. As per Henna Virkkunen, the EU tech chief, the potential dissemination of such harmful images underscores the need for stringent regulatory measures according to Le Monde and India Times.