French and Malaysian authorities have opened investigations into Grok, the artificial intelligence chatbot developed by Elon Musk’s X, over allegations that it generated sexualized deepfake images of women and minors.
Regulators in both countries have formally raised concerns following reports that Grok was used to create explicit, manipulated images without consent. The issue has triggered public condemnation and regulatory scrutiny, adding to mounting pressure on X over the governance and safeguards surrounding its AI systems.
France’s authorities said the creation and distribution of sexualized deepfakes may violate national laws covering child protection, privacy, and digital abuse. Officials are assessing whether Grok’s outputs breach criminal statutes and EU-level digital regulations, including obligations placed on platforms to prevent the misuse of generative AI tools.
In Malaysia, regulators confirmed they are examining potential violations of local cybercrime and content laws, particularly where minors may be involved. Authorities warned that AI platforms operating in the country are expected to comply with strict standards on harmful and illegal content.
The investigations come days after India issued a warning to X, demanding explanations and corrective action over Grok’s outputs. India’s IT ministry has already given the platform a deadline to submit an action-taken report outlining how it plans to prevent similar incidents.
X has previously stated that Grok is designed with safeguards to limit harmful content, but critics argue that current controls are insufficient to prevent abuse, especially as generative AI tools become more accessible.
The growing regulatory response highlights increasing global concern over the misuse of AI-generated content, particularly deepfakes, and raises fresh questions about platform accountability, child safety, and the speed at which AI governance frameworks are being enforced.
Grok AI draws government scrutiny over misuse to create sexualised deepfakes
