Elon Musk’s Grok AI chatbot is embroiled in controversy worldwide over allegations that it is generating images of women in bikinis or semi-nude. Governments are taking strong action on this issue, as it raises serious questions about digital privacy.
Elon Musk’s company xAI’s popular AI chatbot Grok is currently facing a major controversy. Reports surfacing on the internet and an investigation by Reuters revealed that Grok was used to undress or partially undress ordinary photos of women shared on X (formerly Twitter). Users gave the chatbot prompts like “remove clothes” or “make her wear a bikini,” after which the AI transformed the images into semi-nude or highly offensive photos.
The matter became even more serious when news agency Reuters found instances where the AI generated child pornography. Following this revelation, Grok and X faced widespread criticism. Critics argued that launching such a powerful image-generation tool on a social platform without a robust monitoring system was a direct invitation to misuse. The targeting of women’s photos, in particular, sparked outrage on social media.
Elon Musk Blames Users
As the controversy escalated, Elon Musk responded by blaming the users. Musk stated that those using Grok for illegal activities would face the same consequences as those who directly upload illegal content on X. He compared Grok to a “pen,” writing that no tool is inherently bad; it depends on how it is used. However, questions about the platform’s responsibility remain.
Indian Government Issues Strict Directives to X
Taking the matter seriously, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) in India took immediate action. The ministry directed X to immediately remove all obscene, objectionable, and illegal content related to Grok. They also demanded an Action Taken Report from the platform within 72 hours. The government clearly warned that failure to comply with the directives could result in legal action.
Other Countries Also Warning X
The Grok controversy is not limited to India. According to reports, French ministers have also contacted regulators regarding this issue and have deemed such content illegal. AI watchdogs and child safety experts say that X had already received warnings, but these were ignored. Experts believe that connecting AI image-generation tools to social media platforms without robust safety mechanisms is leading to this kind of misuse.
