The European Commission, reportedly, has opened a probe into Elon Musk’s social media platform X over the generation of explicit imagery by AI service Grok.
Regina Doherty, a member of the European Parliament representing Ireland, disclosed in a statement, Reuters reported.
The probe will evaluate if X complied with its obligations under EU digital legislation, including requirements relating to risk mitigation, content governance, and the protection of fundamental rights, said the lawmaker, the report added.
“This case raises very serious questions about whether platforms are meeting their legal obligations to assess risks properly and to prevent illegal and harmful content from spreading,” said Doherty in an emailed statement, according to the report.
The European Commission and xAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Seeking Alpha.
Several countries, including Japan, the U.K., Canada, and Malaysia, had started probes related to Grok’s generation of deepfake images.
The European Commission earlier this month said that AI-generated images of undressed women and children being shared across X were unlawful and appalling.
Doherty noted that the images showed wider weaknesses in how emerging AI technologies are regulated and enforced.
“The European Union has clear rules to protect people online. Those rules must mean something in practice, especially when powerful technologies are deployed at scale. No company operating in the EU is above the law,” Doherty noted.
Earlier this month, xAI (X.AI), owner of Grok AI, said it implemented technological measures to prevent Grok from editing images of real people in revealing clothing such as bikinis, and the restriction will apply to all users, including paid subscribers. “We now geoblock the ability of all users to generate images of real people in bikinis, underwear, and similar attire via the Grok account and in Grok in X in those jurisdictions where it’s illegal.”
Last week, Malaysia lifted its temporary ban on Grok after the social media platform X added safety measures to prevent the generation of deepfake images of people. The Philippines also planned to restore access to Grok after xAI vowed to remove features that enabled the creation of deepfake images.