Ofcom has initiated a formal inquiry into Elon Musk’s X platform regarding the creation of sexualized deepfake images by the AI tool Grok.
The UK media regulator stated that it will investigate whether the social media platform has violated its legal obligations under the Online Safety Act.
In a statement released today, the regulatory body expressed concerns about reports of the Grok AI chatbot account on X being used to produce and distribute nude images of individuals, potentially constituting intimate image abuse or pornography, as well as sexualized images of minors that could amount to child sexual abuse material.
“As the independent online safety authority in the UK, we promptly engaged with X on Monday, January 5, and imposed a strict deadline of January 9 for the platform to detail the measures taken to ensure user protection in the UK,” the regulator commented.
Following the company’s response before the deadline, an urgent assessment of available evidence was conducted.
Amid growing distress over disturbing deepfakes on Musk’s X platform, Tech Secretary Liz Kendall is anticipated to issue a statement later today.
The AI bot Grok has come under fire for generating sexualized images of mainly women and children without their consent, prompting widespread condemnation.
Business Secretary Peter Kyle indicated that the UK would take action, acknowledging the need to enhance online safety, particularly on platforms like X.
“X is falling short in safeguarding its users online,” Kyle emphasized in an interview with Sky News.
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy mentioned that US Vice President JD Vance showed support for addressing the issue of Grok-generated images during a meeting, despite comparisons made by Donald Trump’s free speech advocate to Russia’s threats.
Lammy highlighted the distressing nature of deepfakes created by Grok and the manipulation of images of women and children, labeling the situation as completely unacceptable.
Sarah Rogers, under-secretary for public diplomacy at the US state department, later suggested that the UK was considering a ban similar to Russia’s to shield users from bikini images.