Indonesia lifts ban on Grok but AI tool to remain ‘under strict supervision’

Ban was imposed over concerns that the AI tool was being used to generate sexualised imagery

Indonesia has allowed Elon Musk’s Grok chatbot to resume operations, reversing a suspension imposed over concerns that the artificial intelligence tool was being used to generate sexualised imagery.

Indonesia had halted the chatbot’s services last month, becoming the first country to block the AI tool outright after authorities flagged the risk of AI-generated pornographic content circulating online.

The decision follows written assurances from X Corp, the subsidiary of xAI which is Elon Musk’s AI company, that it will be “outlining concrete steps for service improvements and the prevention of misuse”.

Indonesia’s ministry of communication and digital affairs said access to Grok was being restored only “conditionally” and would remain subject to heightened monitoring.

According to Reuters, in a statement, the ministry said it was processing Grok’s return on “a conditional basis and under strict supervision”, stressing that the move should not be interpreted as a full clearance of the platform’s operations.

“The normalisation of access to Grok services is being carried out conditionally after X Corp submitted a written commitment containing concrete steps for service improvement and prevention of abuse. This commitment is the basis for evaluation, not the end of the supervision process,” senior ministry official Alexander Sabar said in the statement.

According to Mr Sabar, X has already rolled out several “layered” safeguards designed to limit harmful use of the chatbot. He added that regulators would continue to verify these measures and warned that access could again be restricted if violations or inconsistencies were detected.

The Independent has reached out to xAI for comment.

Indonesia’s decision comes amid growing scrutiny of generative AI platforms worldwide. Regulators across Europe and Asia have criticised Grok over the production of explicit or sexualised content, with some authorities launching formal inquiries into how the chatbot is trained, moderated and deployed.

Indonesia has long enforced tough controls on pornographic material, blocking access to platforms such as Pornhub and OnlyFans. In 2018, regulators also temporarily shut down TikTok, citing concerns that some of its content – including sexually explicit material – could endanger children.

Meanwhile, in a post on X last month, Mr Musk said: “Anyone using Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content.”