X could face a UK ban over Grok-generated explicit deepfakes

Explicit deepfake images generated by Grok, the AI chatbot developed by Elon Musk’s xAI and integrated into the social platform X, have triggered a regulatory investigation in the UK.

The British government has reacted to cases in which Grok generated sexualised content. Media regulator Ofcom has been urged to consider restrictive measures against X, including a potential ban, after reports that the AI publicly generated explicit images of people, including minors.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer publicly called on regulators to take action, describing the content as unacceptable:

This is disgraceful. It's disgusting. And it's not to be tolerated. […] We're not going to tolerate it. I've asked for all options to be on the table.

The controversy escalated after X launched a new image-editing feature over the New Year, prompting users worldwide to experiment with Grok by transforming photos into sexualised scenes.

A review of public prompts on X suggests that Grok repeatedly generated explicit images by digitally “undressing” people in photographs. In some cases, the chatbot produced revealing images of fully clothed individuals, including bikini-style renderings without their consent.

Media outlets have documented multiple incidents involving minors. In one case, a user reportedly asked Grok to remove clothing from an image of 14-year-old actress Nell Fisher, known for her role in Stranger Things. Many of the altered images were generated without the consent of the people depicted.

Regulators in several countries have raised concerns about Grok’s behaviour. Malaysia was among the first to launch an investigation, followed closely by India. France has also accused X of potentially violating the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA).

Grok responded by stating that the generation of images involving minors resulted from a safety system error. Elon Musk said that X is removing illegal content, suspending accounts, and cooperating with authorities.

According to Musk, users who create illegal material using Grok will face the same consequences as those who upload prohibited content directly. Following the regulatory scrutiny in multiple countries, image generation on X has reportedly been moved behind a paywall.