Ofcom has launched an investigation into Elon Musk's X over concerns that the company's AI tool Grok is being used to create sexual images.
The UK watchdog said in a statement that there were “very worrying reports” that the chatbot was being used to create and share naked images of people and “sexualised images of children”.
If Ofcom is found to have breached the law, it could impose a fine on X of the greater of 10% of its global revenue or £18m.
The BBC has contacted X for comment. Elon Musk previously said the UK government “wants an excuse for censorship” in response to a post questioning why other AI platforms aren't getting more attention.
Ofcom announced on Monday that it had “urgently contacted” Company X to assess what steps it had taken to comply with UK online safety laws.
The social media platform responded on Friday, adding that a “rapid assessment of the available evidence” had since been carried out.
Ofcom will now investigate whether X failed to remove illegal content quickly when it became aware of it, and whether it took “appropriate steps” to prevent people in the UK from seeing it.
It said such illegal content includes “non-consensual intimate images” and sexual images of children.
The decision follows a global backlash against Grok's image creation capabilities.
