Over the past couple of weeks, X has been inundated with AI-manipulated nude images, generated by the Grok AI chatbot. An alarming range of women have been affected by non-consensual nudity, including prominent models and actresses, as well as news items, victims of crimesand indeed world leaders.
A December 31 research paper by Copyleaks It was estimated that about one image was posted every minute, but later tests were found much more. A sample collected from January 5 to 6 was found 6,700 per hour 24 hours.
But while public figures around the world have decried the choice to release the model without safeguards, there are few clear mechanisms for regulators hoping to rein in Elon Musk’s new image manipulation system. The result has become a painful lesson in the limits of tech regulation — and a progressive challenge for regulators hoping to make their mark.
As expected, the most aggressive action came from the European Commission, which on Thursday ordered xAI to preserve all documents related to its Grok chatbot. The move does not necessarily mean the Commission has launched a new investigation, but it is a common harbinger of such action. It is a particularly ominous fact recent report from CNN This suggests that Elon Musk may have personally intervened to prevent safeguards from being put in place regarding images that could be created by Grok.
It is unclear if X has made any technical changes to the Grok model, although the public media tab for Grok X’s account has been removed. In a statement, the company specifically denounced the use of AI tools to produce child sexual images. “Anyone who uses or encourages Grok to create illegal content will suffer the same consequences as uploading illegal content,” the X Safety account posted on January 3rdechoing an earlier tweet by Elon Musk.
In the meantime, regulators around the world have issued stark warnings. UK Ofcom issued a statement on Mondaysaying it was in contact with xAI and “will conduct a rapid assessment to determine if there are potential compliance issues that warrant investigation.” In radio interview on ThursdayUK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the incident “disgraceful” and “disgusting”, saying “Ofcom has our full support in taking action on this”.
In a LinkedIn postAustralian eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman-Grant said her office had doubled complaints about Grok since the end of 2025. But Inman-Grant stopped short of taking action against xAI, saying only: “We will use the range of regulatory tools at our disposal to investigate and take appropriate action.”
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By far the biggest market threatening action is India, where Grok has been the subject of a formal complaint by a member of parliament. In January, India’s communications regulator MeitY ordered X to address the issue and submit an “action” report within 72 hours — a deadline that was later extended by 48 hours. While it was a reference it was submitted to the regulator on January 7it is unclear whether MeitY will be satisfied with the response. Otherwise, X could lose its safe harbor status in India, a potentially serious limitation on its ability to operate within the country.
