Governments grapple with the flood of non-consensual nudity on X

City: Governments around the world are worried about non-consensual nudity on X. For the last two weeks, many people have seen AI-created nude images of women. These images are made by the Grok AI chatbot, and they affect famous models, actresses, and even world leaders.

A study from Copyleaks said that about one new image appears every minute. However, other tests found many more. In just 24 hours from January 5-6, there were about 6,700 images posted each hour!

While public figures have strongly criticized the lack of safety features on this chatbot, it is hard for regulators to control what Elon Musk’s system does. This situation shows how tough it is to regulate new technology.

The European Commission has taken some of the strongest actions. They asked xAI, the company behind Grok, to keep all documents about it. This doesn’t mean a full investigation has started yet, but it is a sign that it might happen. Reports suggest Elon Musk even tried to stop safety measures for the images.

It is not clear if X has changed anything in the Grok model. The public media section for Grok is gone now. X did say they do not support using AI to create illegal content. They warned that people using Grok for illegal images would face consequences just like if they shared illegal content themselves.

All around the world, regulators have issued strong warnings. The UK’s Ofcom stated that they are working closely with xAI to find out if any rules have been broken. Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the situation “disgraceful” and promised support for Ofcom’s actions.

In Australia, there has been a big rise in complaints about Grok. Julie Inman-Grant, the eSafety Commissioner, mentioned this but didn’t say if they would take direct action against xAI yet; they are still looking into it.

The biggest threat to Grok may come from India. A member of Parliament there made a formal complaint. India’s communications regulator asked X to respond quickly and submit a report. Although a report was sent, it is unclear if it will satisfy the regulator. If it does not, X could face serious limitations in India, impacting its operations there.