UK Opens Formal Investigation into X’s Grok AI After Surge of Sexualised and Non-Consensual Images
Ofcom examines whether Elon Musk’s platform failed its legal duties under the Online Safety Act amid reports of intimate deepfakes and explicit AI-generated content
Britain’s media regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom), has launched a formal investigation into Elon Musk’s social media platform X over its integrated artificial intelligence tool Grok following an outcry over the generation and circulation of sexualised and non-consensual images of adults and minors.
The probe, initiated under the Online Safety Act, reflects escalating concern among UK officials about the deployment and moderation of generative AI on widely used platforms.
Ofcom said it will assess whether X complied with its statutory duties to protect users in the United Kingdom from illegal and harmful content, including intimate image abuse and child sexual abuse material.
The investigation follows evidence that users prompted Grok to produce digitally “undressed” images of women and sexually suggestive depictions of minors without consent, prompting widespread alarm among lawmakers, safety advocates and the public.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall described the output as illegal and harmful and underscored the government’s backing for Ofcom’s enforcement powers.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer also weighed in, condemning the AI-generated images as unlawful and saying the government will support regulatory action.
Ofcom has the authority under UK law to impose fines of up to ten per cent of a company’s global revenue or seek court orders to disrupt services in the country if a breach is established.
The watchdog previously made urgent contact with X and xAI, the related artificial intelligence company, to demand explanations of how the platform is meeting its legal obligations.
In response to mounting scrutiny, X limited access to Grok’s image-generation features to paying users and warned that accounts prompting illegal content would face consequences, including suspension.
Nevertheless, the UK’s accelerated legislative agenda includes making the creation and distribution of non-consensual intimate images a criminal offence under newly prioritised law.
The investigation and potential enforcement actions represent a significant test of online safety regulation in the era of rapidly advancing generative AI.
The probe, initiated under the Online Safety Act, reflects escalating concern among UK officials about the deployment and moderation of generative AI on widely used platforms.
Ofcom said it will assess whether X complied with its statutory duties to protect users in the United Kingdom from illegal and harmful content, including intimate image abuse and child sexual abuse material.
The investigation follows evidence that users prompted Grok to produce digitally “undressed” images of women and sexually suggestive depictions of minors without consent, prompting widespread alarm among lawmakers, safety advocates and the public.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall described the output as illegal and harmful and underscored the government’s backing for Ofcom’s enforcement powers.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer also weighed in, condemning the AI-generated images as unlawful and saying the government will support regulatory action.
Ofcom has the authority under UK law to impose fines of up to ten per cent of a company’s global revenue or seek court orders to disrupt services in the country if a breach is established.
The watchdog previously made urgent contact with X and xAI, the related artificial intelligence company, to demand explanations of how the platform is meeting its legal obligations.
In response to mounting scrutiny, X limited access to Grok’s image-generation features to paying users and warned that accounts prompting illegal content would face consequences, including suspension.
Nevertheless, the UK’s accelerated legislative agenda includes making the creation and distribution of non-consensual intimate images a criminal offence under newly prioritised law.
The investigation and potential enforcement actions represent a significant test of online safety regulation in the era of rapidly advancing generative AI.