The European Commission has initiated a formal investigation into Elon Musk's social media platform X, focusing on serious concerns surrounding its artificial intelligence chatbot feature, Grok. This inquiry follows revelations that the AI system generated approximately three million sexualised images within just eleven days, according to research findings.
Substantial Scale of AI-Generated Content
Research conducted by the Center for Countering Digital Hate uncovered that Grok produced this vast quantity of sexualised imagery in less than two weeks. Alarmingly, among these millions of images, approximately 23,000 appeared to depict children, raising profound child protection concerns across the European Union.
Functionality Under Scrutiny
The investigation specifically examines Grok's capability that allows users to digitally remove clothing from images of women and children, placing them in provocative poses. This functionality has sparked international outrage and prompted regulatory action from European authorities.
Legal Framework and Commission Concerns
The formal inquiry is being conducted under the European Union's Digital Services Act (DSA), a comprehensive legislative framework designed to protect internet users from various online harms. Commission officials have expressed dissatisfaction with the mitigating measures X has implemented to address these serious issues.
Henna Virkkunen, the European Commission's leading official for tech sovereignty, security and democracy, stated clearly: "Non-consensual sexual deepfakes of women and children are a violent, unacceptable form of degradation. With this investigation, we will determine whether X has met its legal obligations under the DSA, or whether it treated rights of European citizens – including those of women and children – as collateral damage of its service."
Expanding Regulatory Examination
This new investigation extends an existing examination of X's recommender systems – the algorithms that help users discover new content on the platform. The commission will assess whether X properly evaluated and mitigated risks associated with Grok's functionalities within the European Union, particularly concerning the sharing of illegal content.
Political and Regulatory Response
Irish MEP Regina Doherty welcomed the formal investigation, emphasising the importance of swift enforcement: "When credible reports emerge of AI systems being used in ways that harm women and children, it is essential that EU law is examined and enforced without delay."
The commission's investigation will specifically evaluate risks related to manipulated sexually explicit images and content that may constitute child sexual abuse material. Officials are examining whether X has implemented adequate systems to properly mitigate these significant risks to European citizens.
Platform Response and Safety Commitments
In response to the investigation, X directed attention to a statement published on 14 January, which declared: "We remain committed to making X a safe platform for everyone and continue to have zero tolerance for any forms of child sexual exploitation, non-consensual nudity, and unwanted sexual content."
This investigation represents a significant test case for the enforcement of the Digital Services Act and establishes important precedents for how European regulators will approach artificial intelligence systems that generate potentially harmful content at scale.
