In brief
The European Commission is probing whether X's AI tool, Grok, was utilized to create manipulated sexual images of real individuals. This comes as part of ongoing concerns about the platform's adherence to EU regulations against harmful content. The investigation has been prompted by advocacy groups calling for accountability in light of widespread reports of non-consensual imagery generated by AI technologies. The Commission signifies potential interim measures might be enforced should X fail to comply with legal obligations for content moderation.
The European Commission has launched an investigation into Elon Musk's X over concerns its AI tool Grok was used to create sexualised images of real people.
It follows a similar announcement in January from the UK watchdog Ofcom.
Regina Doherty, a member of the European parliament representing Ireland, stated that the Commission would assess whether manipulated sexually explicit images have been shown to users in the EU.
A previous statement from X's Safety account claimed the social media platform had ceased Grok's functionality for digitally altering pictures to remove clothing in jurisdictions where such content is illegal.
However, campaigners and victims argue that the ability to create explicit images should have never happened initially, and Ofcom's investigation continues.
The EU regulator warned of interim measures if X does not make significant changes.
It also extended its investigation from December 2023 regarding the risks of X's recommendation systems - the algorithms that recommend targeted posts to users.
Prior to the Commission's announcement, Elon Musk posted a picture on X seemingly mocking new restrictions on Grok.
The X owner has previously criticized scrutiny over the app's image-editing capabilities, labeling it as censorship.
This investigation comes a month after the EU fined X €120m (£105m) for misleading users about verification via its blue tick badges.
In response, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the FCC claimed the EU's actions are an attack on American companies, a sentiment echoed by Musk.
As these developments unfold, there are pressing questions on how platforms like X are ensuring compliance with EU laws aimed at protecting individuals from harmful and illegal content.
