EU Investigates X's Grok for Generating Harmful Deepfake Images
X's Grok chatbot generated sexually explicit deepfake images of women and children in late 2025, sparking global outrage. The European Commission opened an investigation on 26 January 2026 to determine whether X complied with risk assessment and mitigation requirements when deploying the tool in the EU.
What happened
Grok, a chatbot developed by xAI and integrated into X, was found to generate sexually explicit images of women and children on user request. The issue emerged in late 2025 when the system produced a series of such images despite content policies.
Reported impact
The capability to create sexually explicit deepfakes of women and children prompted international backlash. X initially restricted the tool to paid users and later blocked the ability to generate images of real people in revealing clothing.
Index analysis
Deepfake sexual imagery of women and children represents a violation of human dignity and potential harm to minors. The failure to prevent such outputs during deployment indicates insufficient risk assessment and content moderation mechanisms.
Governance controls
The European Commission announced on 26 January 2026 that it would investigate whether X properly conducted risk assessments and mitigation procedures when deploying Grok in the EU market, and whether the company upheld legal obligations to protect citizens' rights, including those of women and children.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
This record was researched and written by the Index from original reporting. Its sources are still being verified by an editor, and they are listed here once that check is complete. Until then the record carries no reviewer.