BRUSSELS, Belgium – The European Commission has announced it is conducting a serious investigation into complaints that Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence tool Grok is being used to create and distribute sexually explicit images depicting minors.
EU digital affairs spokesman Thomas Regnier condemned the AI tool’s capabilities during a press briefing on Monday, stating that Grok’s “spicy mode” feature was producing illegal content.
“Grok is now offering a ‘spicy mode’ showing explicit sexual content with some output generated with childlike images. This is not spicy. This is illegal. This is appalling,” Regnier told reporters.
Complaints surge after new feature launch
The complaints began flooding Musk’s X social media platform, where Grok is available to users, after the company introduced an “edit image” button for the generative AI tool in late December.
However, xAI, the company behind Grok that is run by Musk, acknowledged the problem earlier this month and said it was working urgently to address flaws in its AI system.
The controversy has also caught the attention of French authorities, with the public prosecutor’s office in Paris expanding its existing investigation into X to include new allegations that Grok was being used for generating and disseminating child pornography.
Platform already under EU scrutiny
X has been facing mounting pressure from European regulators in recent months. In December, Brussels imposed a €120 million (approximately R2.3 billion) fine on the platform for violating the EU’s digital content rules, specifically regarding transparency in advertising and user verification methods.
The social media platform remains under investigation under the EU’s Digital Services Act, with the probe having commenced in December 2023.
The European Commission, which serves as the EU’s digital watchdog, has also demanded information from X regarding comments made about the Holocaust on the platform.
Regnier confirmed that X had responded to the commission’s request for information and emphasised the EU’s commitment to enforcement.
“I think X is very well aware that we’re very serious about DSA enforcement, they will remember the fine that they have received from us back in December. So we encourage all companies to be compliant because the commission is serious about enforcement,” he added.
