Kuala Lumpur authorities confirmed on Tuesday their intention to commence legal measures targeting Elon Musk's social media entity X and its related artificial intelligence branch, xAI. This action stems from accusations that both entities neglected their responsibility to ensure the protection of users engaging with their AI chatbot, Grok.
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) disclosed in an official communication that it has detected instances where Grok was exploited to produce and distribute content deemed harmful, including sexually explicit, indecent, highly offensive, and non-consensual manipulated images. Despite issuing directives to X and xAI earlier this month mandating the removal of such harmful materials, the regulator reports that no remedial steps have been taken to date.
Emphasizing the gravity of content involving women and children, the commission described such conduct as significantly troubling, violating Malaysian laws and contradicting the security assurances professed by the companies.
To pursue this matter, the MCMC has appointed legal representation and signaled that formal legal proceedings will commence shortly.
This regulatory escalation coincides with Malaysia and Indonesia's recent decision to prohibit access to Grok, amid increasing concerns over the chatbot's misuse to create sexually explicit and nonconsensual images. The broader global context involves mounting scrutiny of generative AI technologies capable of fabricating realistic images, sounds, and texts, with prevalent apprehension regarding the efficacy of current protective safeguards against potential abuses.
Introduced in 2023, Grok is an AI chatbot accessible without charge on the platform X. The service incorporated an image generation feature named Grok Imagine last year, which included a "spicy mode" permitting the production of adult-themed content. Criticism directed at Grok highlights its role in generating manipulated depictions of individuals, notably women depicted in bikinis or explicit poses, as well as concerning images involving children.
These issues have attracted attention beyond Southeast Asia, with regulatory bodies in the European Union, India, and the United Kingdom raising alarms. The UK government is reportedly advancing legislation to criminalize "nudification apps," while its media regulator has initiated an investigation into whether Grok permitted the sharing of sexualized images of children in violation of the law.
In response to the global backlash surrounding sexualized deepfakes, Grok recently restricted image generation and editing capabilities to subscribed paying users. Nevertheless, critics argue that these measures fall short of fully mitigating the underlying problems. As of now, neither Elon Musk nor his affiliated companies have publicly addressed the restrictions imposed in Southeast Asia. Notably, xAI has responded to media inquiries with an automated message dismissing reports as "Legacy Media Lies."