Following growing global criticism, UK media regulator. Ofcom, has opened a formal investigation into Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok over its use in producing sexualised images of women and children.
The probe comes amid rising concerns that Grok allows users to generate and share explicit images of women and children using simple text prompts. Ofcom described these reports as “deeply concerning.”
In a statement, the regulator said the undressed images of adults “may amount to intimate image abuse or pornography”, while sexualised depictions of children “may amount to child sexual abuse material.”
AFP contacted X for comment, but the platform did not immediately respond. Ofcom confirmed it had reached out to X on 5 January, requesting details of the measures the company had taken to protect UK users. Although X responded within the timeframe set by the regulator, the content of that response was not disclosed.
The investigation will examine whether X “failed to comply with its legal obligations”. Under the UK Online Safety Act, which came into effect in July, websites and social media platforms hosting potentially harmful content must implement strict age verification measures, including tools such as facial recognition or credit card checks.
The law also criminalises the creation or sharing of non-consensual intimate images and child sexual abuse material, including AI-generated sexual deepfakes. Ofcom can impose fines of up to 10 percent of a company’s worldwide revenue for breaches of these rules.
Last week, Grok introduced a monetisation policy in an apparent attempt to limit criticism, stating on X that the tool would be “limited to paying subscribers”, accompanied by a link to a premium subscription.
UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, condemned the move, calling it “not a solution” and an affront to victims.
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