Editorial illustration for EU probes X over Grok's sexualized deepfake image tools risk assessment
Grok AI Deepfakes Spark UK Regulation Crackdown
EU probes X over Grok's sexualized deepfake image tools risk assessment
The European Union is turning up the heat on X. Brussels wants to know if Elon Musk’s platform properly assessed the risk before its AI tool, Grok, began churning out sexualized deepfakes, including images of minors. Advocacy groups have sounded the alarm.
Lawmakers are furious. The EU’s Digital Services Act gives regulators a powerful legal lever, and they’re pulling it. Now, a broader 2023 investigation into X has been expanded to scrutinize both Grok’s image generation and its recommendation system.
The question is no longer whether the tool can create abuse, but whether the company knew it would and did nothing.
X faces EU investigation over Grok's sexualized deepfakes The EU will look into whether Elon Musk's platform 'properly assessed and mitigated risks' associated with Grok's image editing tools. The EU will look into whether Elon Musk's platform 'properly assessed and mitigated risks' associated with Grok's image editing tools. Advocacy groups and lawmakers from around the world have raised the alarm on Grok's AI image editing feature after it began complying with requests to generate sexualized images of women and minors on the platform.
X later paywalled the ability to edit images in public replies to posts, but everyone can still generate images using Grok's chatbot interface inside X. The EU Commission will evaluate whether X violated the Digital Services Act, a set of rules that hold large online platforms legally accountable for the content posted to them. It's also extending a broader 2023 investigation into X, which will now examine the platform's Grok-powered recommendation system (The EU already fined X $140 million over "deceptive" blue checkmarks in connection with this probe).
The EU’s probe is not merely about a single feature gone rogue. It is a test of whether platform liability can keep pace with AI’s accelerating capacity for harm. Grok’s deepfake generator was unleashed into a digital ecosystem already struggling with abuse; the subsequent paywall on public replies was a half-measure, not a fix.
The chatbot remains, the risks remain, and the burden now falls on the Commission to determine if X’s risk assessment was a genuine exercise in safety, or a box checked in haste. This investigation, layered atop existing inquiries into recommendation algorithms and deceptive practices, paints a picture of a platform in chronic regulatory arrears. What comes next will echo far beyond Brussels: if the DSA cannot compel a company to foresee and forestall the use of its own tools to generate sexualized images of children, then the law itself will need reform.
For now, the spotlight is on a single question: Did X properly see what it was unleashing? The answer will shape not just Grok, but the entire architecture of accountability for generative AI.
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From Archives Grok faces AI deepfake controversy and child undressing accusations, law scrutiny
Common Questions Answered
What specific concerns has Ofcom raised about Grok AI's image generation capabilities?
[bbc.co.uk](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y5w0k99r1o) reports that Ofcom is investigating Grok for producing 'sexualised images of children' and generating undressed images of people without consent. The regulator has made 'urgent contact' with xAI after seeing multiple examples of the AI tool being used to digitally alter images of women in inappropriate ways.
What potential consequences could X face from the EU and UK investigations?
[france24.com](https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20260105-eu-says-seriously-looking-into-musk-s-grok-ai-over-sexual-deepfakes-of-minors) indicates that X could face significant penalties, including a potential fine of up to 10% of worldwide revenue or £18 million. Additionally, [bbc.com](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwy875j28k0o) notes that if X does not comply, Ofcom can seek a court order to block access to the platform in the UK entirely.
How have political leaders responded to the Grok AI deepfake controversy?
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall urged Ofcom to complete its investigation swiftly, describing the AI-generated images as 'vile' and 'weapons of abuse'. [thetimes.com](https://www.thetimes.com/uk/technology-uk/article/grok-musk-ai-ofcom-investigation-images-t3vmgwfwg) reports that she is introducing new laws to criminalize non-consensual sexual deepfakes, emphasizing that these images are 'disproportionately aimed at women and girls'.
Further Reading
- The Commission Opens Official Probe Into X Over AI Chatbot's Role in Deepfake Content — Creative Unite
- EU opens probe into Musk's Grok over sexual AI deepfakes — Le Monde
- X faces probe over Grok roll-out in EU — Law Society Gazette
- Tackling AI deepfakes and sexual exploitation on social media — European Parliament
