The European Commission has reportedly announced a formal investigation Elon Musk’s X, a subsidiary of X Corp, about the image editing feature of its AI chatbot, which has been used to create non-consensual explicit content.
EU investigates AI by X for misuse of images
The European Commission is about to launch an investigation into the image editing function of X’s chatbot. Grok. This feature has been used to virtually undress images of real women and underage girls without their consent, reported The German newspaper Handelsblatt reported on Monday.
The controversy arose last summer when Grok, X’s AI tool, was upgraded with a paid feature called “Spicy Mode,” which allowed users to create explicit content. Following a global outcry, X implemented technological measures to prevent editing of images of real people in revealing clothing. The company also removed sexualized, Grok-altered images of children and banned the users involved.
Under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), the European Commission has requested information from X and is assessing its response. If X is found to have breached EU rules for online platforms, the company could be fined up to 6% of its annual global turnover.
The X Safety account reported that they are taking action against illegal content on
This investigation follows Malaysia and Indonesia’s decision to block access to Grok after discovering its potential for generating and distributing non-consensual explicit content and child sexual abuse material. These countries cited “repeated failures by X Corp” to mitigate associated risks.
The bans by Malaysia and Indonesia came after the AI image generator faced international backlash for creating non-consensual sexualized images, including those of minors, prompting an investigation by French authorities.
EU postpones action by Grok on Trump
According to the publication, the European Commission postponed the opening of proceedings against Grok, initially scheduled for last Monday, due to concerns about the president’s anger. Donald Trump which accused Europe’s Digital Services Act (DSA) of targeting US tech companies. His recent threats of additional tariffs on Greenland and previous criticism of EU actions against US digital companies prompted the Commission to postpone legal action.
Notably, in December, Vice President JD Vance criticized the EU for its alleged plans to fine X and accused the EU of censorship and targeting US companies.
Disclaimer: This content was produced in part using AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga’s editorial staff.
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