Grok AI Misuse: X Gets 48-Hour Extension For Action Report On Sexually Explicit Content, Says Report

Billionaire Elon Musk received an extension from the Indian Government on Tuesday regarding his social media company 'X' submitting a detailed action report on the proliferation of "vulgar and unlawful" content to users and accounts.

The extension gave the company until Jan. 7, 5 p.m. to file the report on the action it took to curb the circulation of obscene, sexually explicit and derogatory content generated on the platform using the company's chatbot GrokAI, as per a Hindustan Times report.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology gave 'X' a 72-hour ultimatum for the report on Jan. 2.

The failure to adopt platform-level safeguards has resulted in the misuse of Grok AI, according to the ministry. It added that the misuse also amounts to violations under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences Act, and Indecent Representation of Women Act.

This development followed Rajya Sabha lawmaker Priyanka Chaturvedi's calls for the Centre's intervention to safeguard the privacy rights of women, as AI apps like Grok were being used to generate and share non- consensual sexually explicit and/or obscene images of women.

In a letter to Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnav, Chaturvedi noted that on 'X', men are creating fake accounts to upload women's photos, and then using the Grok AI feature to sexualise those images.

"It is not just limited to sharing photos through fake accounts but are also targeting women who post their own photos. This is unacceptable and gross misuse of an Al function. I write to you as an active member of the Standing Committee on IT & Communication to urge you as a minister to take this up strongly with X to ensure safeguards are built in their AI apps to make the platform a safe space for women," Chaturvedi said.