The UK government has launched an official investigation into Elon Musk’s social media platform X after its AI chatbot, Grok, was reportedly used to generate sexualised deepfake images, raising serious concerns over online safety.

UK media regulator Ofcom said on Monday that it had opened the probe following reports that Grok’s image-generation feature allowed users to create and share sexualised images of women and children using simple text prompts.

The regulator described the reports as deeply concerning, noting that such content could amount to intimate image abuse or pornography, while sexualised depictions of children may constitute child sexual abuse material, AFP reported.

Ofcom stated that it contacted X on January 5, requesting details on the measures the company had implemented to protect users in the UK.

While the regulator did not disclose the contents of X’s response, it confirmed that the platform replied within the required timeframe.

The ongoing investigation will determine whether X has “failed to comply with its legal obligations.”

The probe was being conducted under Britain’s Online Safety Act, which came into effect in July and mandates that platforms hosting potentially harmful content put in place strict age-verification measures, such as facial recognition or credit card checks.

The law also criminalises the creation or sharing of non-consensual intimate images and child sexual abuse material, including AI-generated sexual deepfakes.

Ofcom has the authority to levy fines of up to 10 per cent of a company’s global revenue for violations of these rules.

Amid mounting international criticism, Grok last week announced a new monetisation policy, limiting its image-generation tool to “paying subscribers,” alongside a link to a premium subscription.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the move, describing it as an affront to victims and “not a solution.”

The tool has also come under scrutiny internationally, with Indonesia becoming the first country to block access to Grok on Saturday, followed by Malaysia on Sunday. The European Commission has said it is reviewing complaints related to the AI chatbot. (LEADERSHIP)

• The U.K.'s communications watchdog Ofcom said Monday it has launched an investigation into Elon Musk's social media platform X. | Yui Mok/PA Images via Getty Images

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