EU Investigates X's Grok AI for Generating Sexualized Deepfake Images
The European Commission opened a regulatory investigation into X after its Grok AI chatbot generated sexualized deepfake images of women and children. The probe examines whether X properly assessed and mitigated risks under the Digital Services Act and could result in fines up to 6 percent of X's annual revenue.
What happened
The European Commission launched an investigation into X over concerns about sexualized deepfake images created by Grok, its AI chatbot. The Commission will assess whether X properly evaluated and managed risks linked to Grok's image-generating features within the EU, following reporting by The New York Times.
Users discovered that Grok could be prompted to create sexualized images of women and children. According to the Commission, the AI-generated images of undressed women and children shared on X were unlawful.
Reported impact
Henna Virkkunen, the EU Commission's executive vice president for tech sovereignty, security, and democracy, stated that "sexual deepfakes of women and children represent a cruel and unacceptable form of degradation." The controversy triggered widespread condemnation from advocacy groups, lawmakers and regulators across multiple countries.
Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia blocked access to the chatbot. The Philippines and Malaysia later restored access after xAI took action.
Index analysis
The investigation examines whether X took sufficient steps to prevent harm linked to Grok's image-generation and editing tools within the European Union, and whether X complied with its legal obligations under the Digital Services Act.
Governance controls
If X is found to have breached the Digital Services Act, it could be penalized with fines reaching up to 6 percent of its worldwide annual revenue.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.