European Union Launches Investigation into X and Grok AI as Undressing Tool Continues to Operate Illegally.
The European Commission has announced that it is launching an investigation into X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk, over its continued operation of a digital undressing tool, Grok AI. Despite public pledges from the company to stop its chatbot allowing users to digitally edit images of real people and show them in revealing clothing such as bikinis without their consent.
In a recent investigation by CBS News, it was found that Grok AI still allowed users to digitally undress people without their consent on both the standalone app and for verified X users in various countries. The British government has warned that X could face a U.K.-wide ban if it fails to block the tool, which has sparked international backlash.
A spokesperson for the European Commission stated that the commission was investigating X's integration of Grok AI and not its standalone application as current EU legislation, the Digital Services Act, only regulates designated online platforms. The investigation aims to determine whether X is failing to properly assess and mitigate the risks associated with the Grok AI tool on its platforms.
Meanwhile, Elon Musk's company xAI has faced scrutiny from regulators around the world, including calls for regulation in the U.S. and the threat of a ban in the U.K. The company had initially implemented technological measures to prevent the Grok account on X globally from allowing the editing of images of real people in revealing clothing.
Grok AI itself has acknowledged that it should face meaningful regulation, particularly around non-consensual intimate or sexualized edits, deepfakes, and misuse that harms real individuals. In a statement, the chatbot said that when identity is uncertain or unconfirmed, the default to "treat as fiction/role-play unless proven otherwise" creates a gray area ripe for abuse.
The investigation into X and Grok AI follows a growing international backlash over the tool's ability to generate non-consensual sexualized images of real women, public figures, and even minors. A coalition of nearly 30 advocacy groups has called on Google and Apple to remove X and the Grok app from their respective app stores.
The situation highlights the ongoing challenges posed by the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence and its potential misuse for harm. As regulators and lawmakers continue to grapple with how to balance innovation with safeguards against abuse, users are left to wonder about the safety of digital platforms and the tools they use.
The European Commission has announced that it is launching an investigation into X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk, over its continued operation of a digital undressing tool, Grok AI. Despite public pledges from the company to stop its chatbot allowing users to digitally edit images of real people and show them in revealing clothing such as bikinis without their consent.
In a recent investigation by CBS News, it was found that Grok AI still allowed users to digitally undress people without their consent on both the standalone app and for verified X users in various countries. The British government has warned that X could face a U.K.-wide ban if it fails to block the tool, which has sparked international backlash.
A spokesperson for the European Commission stated that the commission was investigating X's integration of Grok AI and not its standalone application as current EU legislation, the Digital Services Act, only regulates designated online platforms. The investigation aims to determine whether X is failing to properly assess and mitigate the risks associated with the Grok AI tool on its platforms.
Meanwhile, Elon Musk's company xAI has faced scrutiny from regulators around the world, including calls for regulation in the U.S. and the threat of a ban in the U.K. The company had initially implemented technological measures to prevent the Grok account on X globally from allowing the editing of images of real people in revealing clothing.
Grok AI itself has acknowledged that it should face meaningful regulation, particularly around non-consensual intimate or sexualized edits, deepfakes, and misuse that harms real individuals. In a statement, the chatbot said that when identity is uncertain or unconfirmed, the default to "treat as fiction/role-play unless proven otherwise" creates a gray area ripe for abuse.
The investigation into X and Grok AI follows a growing international backlash over the tool's ability to generate non-consensual sexualized images of real women, public figures, and even minors. A coalition of nearly 30 advocacy groups has called on Google and Apple to remove X and the Grok app from their respective app stores.
The situation highlights the ongoing challenges posed by the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence and its potential misuse for harm. As regulators and lawmakers continue to grapple with how to balance innovation with safeguards against abuse, users are left to wonder about the safety of digital platforms and the tools they use.
come on x & elon musk, can't you get it together?! grok ai is still running wild out there 
i mean, who thought it was a good idea to let people digitally undress ppl without their consent?! that's just creepy and it's gotta stop ASAP 
the eu needs to step in & make some serious changes, this ain't no joke anymore 
we need better regulations on ai tech so it doesn't get misused 
the EU is taking a step in the right direction by launching an investigation into X's operation of Grok AI it's like they're saying we can't just let companies run amok with their tech no matter how much money or influence they have because at the end of the day it's about human dignity and respect 
, EU needs to stop worrying about what's happening on x and start focusing on other important issues 
. grok ai is just trying to provide a service that people want (who doesn't love editing pics of themselves in bikinis 
), and now the EU is going to come after x for it? 
that's just not right 
especially when it comes to non-consensual edits its just not right. and now the EU is investigating x what's next? 
i feel like we're living in a sci-fi movie where AI has taken over and we can't control it 
I don't think they're taking this seriously enough. What needs to happen is some real consequences for the people responsible for this. Like, if you're going to make a tool that can edit images of real people without their consent, then you need to have some serious safeguards in place to prevent it from being used for harm. It's not just about regulating AI, it's about holding people accountable for using it to hurt others. 
. Newsflash: you can't just create a tool that lets people digitally undress others without their consent and think you're above the law 
. They should've cracked down on this stuff years ago instead of letting it fester into a major issue 
. This isn't just about X, it's about the entire industry 
. Anything less is just a recipe for disaster 
.
.
. The real question is, what's going to happen to people who get hurt by this stuff? Are they gonna be able to take X to court or what? 
, i don't want to see any more of these non-consensual images being shared online. and honestly, what's the point of having a 'digital undressing tool' if it can't even respect people's boundaries? 
, or will x take responsibility for policing its own platform? 
. It's clear that the company has failed to properly address the issue of non-consensual intimate edits, and it's not just about X, but also about the broader implications for online safety 
. I mean, who needs an undressing tool that can be used to harm people? It's like, hello, personal boundaries are still a thing 
.
And why do companies need to be investigated all the time? Can't they just make sure their apps are safe and fair for everyone? 
And what about all these advocacy groups calling for the app to be removed from stores? Can't they just speak up and say something instead of making it a big group effort? 
Anyway, I guess this is one of those things that makes me think we need more rules and stuff... like, online safety should be a priority or something! 
I'm all for innovation and progress, but when it comes to AI, you gotta have some serious checks and balances in place to prevent this kind of abuse. 
. It's just not right.
.
. We need more regulation and accountability from companies like X 
But what's even crazier is that ppl are still being harmed by this tool & no one's doing enough 2 stop it 
They keep making promises but never really follow through on them. It's like, hello, a ban in the UK isn't a threat if you're not going to take it seriously. And what's with Grok AI thinking they can just say "treat as fiction/role-play unless proven otherwise"? That's just code for "we don't care about your feelings". 
it's like, super creepy 
that people can digitally undress others without their consent 
Is there gonna be an app that lets users create fake deepfakes of politicians? 
and regulate these platforms better 
. This is a huge red flag 
and take responsibility for X's actions. The fact that Grok AI has acknowledged its own flaws and called for regulation 
, but not at the cost of people's safety and dignity