EU investigates Elon Musk’s Grok chatbot over explicit images

The AI chatbot was used to remove clothing from images of women and children

The European Commission has launched an investigation into Grok, Elon Musk's AI chatbot, over the production of explicit imagery.

Regina Doherty, a member of the European parliament representing Ireland, announced the investigation on Monday.

It will probe whether the social media platform X has complied with its obligations under EU digital legislation, including requirements relating to risk mitigation, content governance, and the protection of fundamental rights, Ms Doherty said.

A European Union crackdown on Big Tech has triggered criticism and even the threat of tariffs from the United States.

A Commission spokesperson did not immediately respond when asked to confirm if an investigation had been opened.

X did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.

Elon Musk has floated the idea of buying Ryanair (Kirsty Wigglesworth/PA) (PA Archive)

"This case raises very serious questions about whether platforms are meeting their legal obligations to assess risks properly and to prevent illegal and harmful content from spreading," Ms Doherty said in an emailed statement.

The Commission said earlier in January that the AI-generated images of undressed women and children being shared on X were unlawful and appalling, joining condemnation across the world.

xAI, the artificial intelligence company owned by Musk, said in mid-January that it had implemented tweaks to prevent the Grok account "from allowing the editing of images of real people in revealing clothing such as bikinis".

The company also said at the time that it had blocked users, based on their location, from generating images of people in revealing clothing in "jurisdictions where it's illegal".

It did not identify those jurisdictions.

Ms Doherty said that the images had exposed wider weaknesses in how emerging AI technologies are regulated and enforced.

"The European Union has clear rules to protect people online. Those rules must mean something in practice, especially when powerful technologies are deployed at scale. No company operating in the EU is above the law," she added.

Britain's media regulator Ofcom launched its own separate investigation earlier this month into whether X has complied with its duties under the UK's Online Safety Act.