Elon Musk is facing mounting pressure from the UK government after serious concerns were raised about Grok, the AI chatbot integrated into his social media platform, X. The UK’s Technology Secretary has urged Musk to act quickly to stop the chatbot from being misused.
Reports circulating online, later confirmed by the BBC, indicate that Grok has been exploited to generate non-consensual sexualized images of women and girls. In some cases, the AI has altered photos to make individuals appear partially undressed, such as in bikinis, while in other instances it has placed them into explicit scenarios without consent.
Speaking on January 6, Liz Kendall strongly condemned the situation, calling it “absolutely appalling.” She emphasized that no one should be forced to endure the trauma of seeing intimate deepfake images of themselves shared online.
Kendall also made it clear that the government will not tolerate the spread of such harmful material. “We cannot and will not allow these degrading images to circulate,” she said.
Her comments followed confirmation from Ofcom, the UK’s communications regulator, that it has launched an investigation into the alleged misuse of Grok. Kendall expressed her full support for Ofcom’s actions, stating that the regulator is right to treat the issue with urgency and to pursue enforcement measures if required.
In response, X stated that it takes action against illegal and harmful content, including child sexual abuse material. According to the platform, these actions range from removing content and permanently banning accounts to cooperating with local authorities and law enforcement.
X also warned that users who prompt Grok to generate illegal material will face the same penalties as those who upload such content directly.
Grok was first introduced on X in 2023. While largely free to use—aside from some premium features—the AI assistant responds to user prompts, offers commentary on posts, and provides additional context. It also allows users to edit images uploaded to the platform.
